Summer of a Lifetime
by Emerald Ash
Summary: AU- What do you get if you toss the Inuyasha gang into a summer camp as counselors? A whole lot of chaos and romance! InuxKag, MirxSan, KougaxAyame, SesshyxKagura
1. Camp Natsu Aikou

Guess who's here with a new story?! ME! Yay! Even though it's the middle of winter, it's summer in fan fic land, so there! I like summer much better than winter, anyway! I wanna dedicate this to everyone who is faithfully reading my other story, 'Lovers and Killers'! I love all of you, and I hope you guys like this new story! Enjoy!

**1 - Camp Natsu Aikou**

The young woman hopped off the bus onto the grassy field, the afternoon sun instantly beating on her long raven hair. Her deep chocolate brown eyes scanned the horizon. To the far left lay a dirt baseball field, the newly layed white chalk lines showing brightly on the brown of the earth. Next to the field were an assortment of cabins. These particular cabins had been spray painted with big blue letters that read messages like 'Boys Rule!' and 'Kings of the Camp!'. Naturally, these were the boy's cabins. A little farther back, her eyes came to the lake, with it's wooden dock jutting out into the peaceful waters. About thirty feet infront of that was a large building with a sign that read 'Activities Building'. She assumed it was for activities such as crafts and for when it rained. To the left of that was a large building with another sign that declared that this building was the main office of the camp. Next to this enormous building lay a long, low building with a smaller building connected to it from behind. 'The Mess Hall' was on a sign above the large double doors. Directly behind this was a basketball court, already covered with teenage boys fighting over the bright orange ball that flew to the net. A little further back the forest began. The darkness of the forest startled the young woman; even in the day it looked like night. She looked up the slight hill to her right, spying another grouping of cabins much like the ones to her left, except these had bright pink paint that announced that 'Girls are better than Boys' and 'Boys have Cooties!'. A large grin crossed her face as she approached the cabins with a vengence. Kagome knew that this summer would be very interesting.

She walked up the small wave in the grass, looking over the young girls that congregated among the grass as she approached a girl that looked around her age.

"Umm... Hello," Kagome said as she tapped the stranger on the shoulder. She turned to Kagome with a bright smile. Her magenta eyes sparkled with happiness and her long dark brown hair was pulled into a ponytail high on her head. She wore a Camp Natsu Aikou t-shirt and jean shorts. Her smile exuded confidence, and she seemed very strong. How Kagome could tell this from a glance was a mystery to her.

"Hi! You must be another counselor! I'm Sango, nice to meet you!" She stuck her hand out and Kagome shook it cheerfully.

"Yeah, I'm Kagome. Nice to meet you!"

"Oh, you're Kagome? Awesome! You and me are counselors of the same cabin!" Her voice sounded relieved to meet her partner. She grabbed Kagome's hand and dragged her to the nearest cabin, swinging the door open to reveal a fairly large room filled with about ten twin beds. There were a couple suitcases and pillows askew around the room, along with some coats and jackets. "We sleep in here, with the girls. It's like a slumber party every night!"

"Slumber party?" Kagome said with a skeptical tone.

"Let me guess: You've never been a counselor before, am I right?" she asked as she put her fists on her hip.

"Yeah... You could say it was sort of a no choice kinda thing..." she said as her mind wandered back to her kichen at home.

_flash back - _

"I have to what?" Kagome said as she played with the little tassles on the pillow that sat on her lap.

"You're going to be a counselor at Camp Natsu Aikou this summer," her mom told her as she paced around the butcher block island in the center of the kitchen. Kagome's mother was a quiet woman, but she got what she wanted.

"Why?" Kagome asked. The edge of her fingernail got caught on a thread and broke. "Owch..." she said as she threw the pillow back to the couch in the living room.

"Because I don't want Souta traveling that far by himself. It's dangerous."

"Mom, walking across the street is dangerous," she said as she got up and pulled a bottle of cold water out of the refidgerator. "Besides, why can't I just take him and come back? And besides, I have to get ready to go to college in the fall, remember?"

"That's another reason that I'm sending you there. You need to go and clear your head. Trust me, it will help," she said in a knowing tone.

A sigh escaped Kagome's lips. 'No matter what I say I won't have a choice about it...'

_- end flash back_

"Don't worry, Kagome. You'll love being a counselor. I've been a coulcelor since I was fifteen, and I do. Although I've never been to this particular camp before..." she trailed off as she led Kagome back to the two beds near the back wall. "You and me will sleep here, okay?" Sango threw her bag onto the bed to the right of the window, and Kagome set her's on the bed to the left.

"Attention, all counselors!" a booming, yet emotionless, voice anounced over an intercom. "Please report to the main office for instructions. Now."

"That must be our boss," Kagome sighed. "Sounds like a real fun guy, huh?"

"Yeah... Come on, we don't wanna be late!" Sango grabed Kagome's shirt sleeve and pulled her out of the cabin.

'This is going to be a long summer...' Kagome thought as they jogged/ran to the main office.

* * *

A young man was pacing around the boy's cabins with a scowl on his face. 'I can't believe that she's here! Out of all the camps in the country, she had to chose this one!' He shook his head and his long silver hair glimmered in the sun and his dog ears twitched in anger.

"You got fleas or something, Inuyasha?" a black haired guy called from the porch of a near by cabin.

"Feh! You know I don't, dumb ass! I just can't believe she's here..."

"Relax. From what you told me on the airplane, she doesn't want to see you either!" He laughed, then got bonked on the head by an aggrivated Inuyasha.

"Miroku, you're an idiot!" Inuyasha said furiously. Even though he had just met Miroku on the plane here, it felt as if they had know eachother for years. "And besides, I don't care if she doesn't was to see me, she can kiss my ass!"

"That's the way to be, Inuyasha!" Miroku said with a fist in the air as he jumped off the low porch onto the bright green grass. "Anyway, I saw some babes walking around earlier, so you can get nice and distracted..."

"Feh!"

"Hehe..." Miroku felt sorry for Inuyasha. On the trip here he explained how he had just broken up with his girlfriend, Kikyo. It broke his heart, he had said, but he had to do it. He wouldn't explain why, though. When they got to the camp, they saw that Kikyo was a councelor as well. He was real upset, and Miroku made it his mission to find a new summer romance for his new friend and partner in crime.

Suddenly, a booming voice came out over the camp. "Attention, all coulselors! Please report to the main ofice for instructions. Now."

"Seems nice enough," Miroku said as the two boys walked to the main office.

"You'd be surprised..." Inuyasha said in a tone that made Miroku curious.

"Hmmm... do you know this mysterious voice, Inuyasha?" he asked slyly.

"You could say that..." he replied as they reached the large building.

* * *

"Welcome to Camp Natsu Aikou, counselors. I am the director of this camp. You can call me Sesshomaru," the tall, silver-haired man on the soap box announced. His amber eyes shot around the group, sending shivers through the group of teenagers. He looked at each one, as if daring them to defy him. "Now, you are all here to be leaders and chaperones for the children that attend this camp during the summer. For two and a half months, you will have to become responsible young adults and actually use the space between your ears for something that could mold a child's life. I take this very seriously, so if you screw up, have no doubts that I don't have a problem with sending you home," he concluded. The room was silent as the teens soaked in everything the stoic director said. "You have already been assigned your partners in your rooms. Today get to know the kids in your cabin, and tomorrow at breakfast you will receive further instructions. You are dismissed." He stepped off the soap box and walked away before anyone could say anything.

The room was silent, the group of teenagers not sure of what to do. "Well, that was... interesting." The voice spoke over the calm, breaking the ice among them. Everyone looked at the girl who spoke. Her bright red hair was up in two large pigtails, and her green eyes were lit with innocence. "Umm... Hi everyone, I'm Ayame. Nice to meet you all," she said with a cheerful smile.

Kagome took this as a chance to introduce herself. "Yeah, hi, I'm Kagome." She walked up to Ayame and took her hands in hers and shook them lightly. Ayame rewarded her with a large smile.

Inuyasha gulped. 'Damn it! It was hard enough being in the same room with Kikyo...' he though as he looked at the tall dark-haired girl standing in the corner. 'But now there's a girl, Kagome or whatever, that looks almost like her twin! Shit, this is gonna be a long summer...' Then he took a better look at the girl that was shaking the red head's hands, and saw that even though they appeared alike at first glance, Kagome and Kikyo looked very different. Kagome was a couple inched shorter than Kikyo and her hair was a bit shorter as well. The biggest difference was the eyes, though. Even though they were the same chocolate brown color, they were so different. Kikyo's eyes had always been shallow and plain, feeling of no emotion. It was as if they were frozen in an eternal sleep, unable to properly see the world. That's what broke them up. She just couldn't feel any emotion and it tore him apart. But Kagome's eyes were full of passion and happiness; they sparkled under the fluorecent lighting of the large room. Her smile was wide and true, making his heart shoot upward into his throat.

"And I'm Sango! Hello! What a pretty name!" Sango shot forward and shook both girl's hands furiously with a smile. Miroku gave her the once-over and decided to concentrate on getting closer to this particular girl. He grinned a lecherous smile and stepped forward.

"Hello, ladies, I am Miroku," he said as he took each girl's hand one by one and kissed it. When he got to Sango's, he held her hand after the sweet gesture and gazed into her magenta eyes with his bright blue ones and said, "It's so nice to meet you, my love."

"The pleasure is all mine..." she began. Suddenly she stopped herself mid-sentence and her cheeks flushed many shades of red and pink as she felt a stray hand on her backside. "Get your hands off me, you pervert!" she yelled as she slapped him away, leaving a throbing hand print on the young man's face.

"You just couldn't resist, could ya monk?" Inuyasha called as he came over and help Miroku up.

"You're a monk, and you felt me up!" Sango screamed, her voice echoing around the room. "Aren't there some vowes or something against that?!"

"Hehe..." he laughed.

"Feh!" Inuyasha said. Kagome's eyes shot to the silver-haired boy. Instanly, she knew he was the most gorgeous guy she had ever seen in her life. He had the brightest amber-gold eyes and the cutest little silver doggy ears resting atop his head. His clawed hands had the back of Miroku's colar and helped pull him up. She felt the slight burning sensation on her cheeks as she kept looking at him, unaware she was starring. He noticed and said without thinking, "What? You have an eye problem wench?"

Kagome's eyes shot glares of anger at him, his ears flattening against the top of his head in fear. "What did you call me, dog boy?!" she roared, scarring the whits out of everyone.

"Hehe... Nothing..." he struggled to say. 'Man, what a bitch... She's awesome!' he thought with a grin.

"Now Inuyasha, be nice to the ladies," Miroku said as he waved a finger at him.

"I'll never be as 'nice' as you, Miroku," he said with a sneer. Miroku's face reddened, but his expression never changed. "Well, girls, this ill-temper dog is Inuyasha."

"Feh!" he said as he crossed his arms and turned around. "At least I'm not a perv," he replied with a grin.

"You shouldn't be so cocky, mutt-face. I'm getting sick of that smirk," a male voice sounded off. Inuyasha turned around to find a boy with a black ponytial and light green eyes standing with one arm around Ayame and the other arm around Kagome. Ayame only blushed, but this little PDA really pissed Kagome off. She brought her elbow up to connect with his jaw, causing him to release his hold on her immediately.

"Don't ever touch me unless I give you permission, which I won't. You got that?" she said as she shot a killer glare at the wolf demon.

"Yeah, whatever..." he said as he rubbed his jaw. Inuyasha started laughing and received a death glare from him. "I'm Kouga, by the way."

"Yeah, no one cares," Inuyasha told him.

"You wanna take this outside mutt-face!"

"Stop calling me that you son of-"

"That's enough!" Kagome yelled as she stepped between the boys, pushing their chests to part them. "We're hear for the kids, not a macho man contest!"

"Feh!" Inuyasha said as yet again he pouted.

"Don't worry, mutt-face, this isn't over," Kouga said as he stomped out of the room.

"Men are such babies," a new voice announced. Inuyasha's expression dropped as he heard the farmiliar voice.

'Kikyo...'

"Who are you?" Sango asked with a smile.

Kikyo returned it, and held out a hand. "I'm Kikyo."

Sango shook it, and said, "Nice to meet you!"

Kikyo walked over to another girl standing in the corner. Her long white hair fell passed her lower back and her stony gray eyes were narrow. "Kikyo, why are you bothering with these wimps?" the young woman announced.

"Tsubaki, we need to get along with them all summer, might as well make a good start."

"Fine," she sighs. She approached Sango and kagome. After a quick half bow, she said, "I'm Tsubaki. It's a pleasure." The last part was added on with a sickeningly sweet tone, causing Kagome to become uneasy.

"Nice to meet you, too," Sango said, also feeling uncomfortable under the stony watch of Kikyo and Tsubaki.

"Come on, let's go," Kikyo said as she approached the door.

"Okay." They both exited the building without another word, leaving everyone else speachless.

"Well, I think I'll take my leave as well," another voice said. The young man went toward the door. His black hair was in a braid and his bright red eyes glinted randomly, like lightening. "Kouga is my partner, and hopefully he's cooled off by now. By the way, I'm Hiten." He exited quickly, leaving no room for comment or question.

"Oh! We should get going, too!" Ayame said suddenly, hopping over to yet another corner. "Come on, Yura!" she said as she pulled on the young woman's hand. She stepped out where everyone could see her, revealing shout back hair and deep red eyes.

"Okay," she said. "By the way, Inuyasha. You have great hair," she said with a wink as she was dragged out of the room, leaving only Kaogme, Sango, Miroku, and a red Inuyasha.

Kagome giggled at the look on the inu-hanyou's face. He shot her a look and she laughed harder. "Kagome, let's go before you piss someone off!" Sango said with a sigh as she dragged her partner out of the room. "We'll see you guys later!" she called over her shoulder as Kagome just kept laughing.

Miroku patted Inuyasha on the shouler with a sigh. "Man, you're a babe magnet. Kagome already digs you, man."

"Feh! Well, you seem kinda 'attached' to Sango already."

"What can I say?" he said as they walked to the door. When they got outside, they saw Kagome and Sango walking up the small hill to the girl's cabins.

'I think this summer will be better than I thought...' they both thought simultaneously as they watched the girls who had already stolen their hearts walk away.

* * *

Sorry it's so short, but I want to see the response to this before I put a lot of time into it. So, yeah! Some of the characters might be OOC, but I'm just geting started! Yay! So, REVEIW! Pretty please?! If I don't get a good amount of reveiws, I'm gonna take this chapter down and concentrate on LAK, so if you want to see how this story will take shape, REVEIW! Adios, my friends!

Ash


	2. Meet the Campers

Hey, everyone! I decided to continue this fic, but I need you guys to reveiw! But for now, enjoy!

This chapter is dedicated to my good friend, Hanyou Vixen, for being first to reveiw! YAY!

* * *

**2 - Meet the Campers**

Kagome and Sango went back to their cabin, only to find five young girls gathered in the center of the large room. "Hi, girls! I'm Sango, and this is Kagome!" Sango chirped happily as they entered.

"Yeah, and if you haven't guessed, we're you're coulselors," Kagome informed them.

"Hi!" the first young girl stood up. She had long black hair that was partially pulled up into a small ponytail on the side of her head. Her light brown eyes glimmered with child-like innocence as she skipped over to the two teenagers. She promptly stopped infront of them. "I'm Rin! It's nice to meet you!"

Sango bent down with her hands on her knees so she could look the enthusiastic youngster in the eyes. "It's nice to meet you too! How old are you?"

"I turned eleven last week!" she squealed.

"Well, happy late birthday!" Kagome said happily. 'Maybe this summer won't be as bad as I thought...'

Another little girl stood up. She had unnaturally white hair for such a young child and black eyes that held a blank stare. At first those eyes sent chills up Kagome's spine, but she was instantly eased as the ghost-like girl spoke.

"Hello." Her voice was young and sweet, not matching her sullen apperance at all. "My name is Kanna. You're our councelors?" she said very calmly. She always maintained this state of serenity that both teens found unnerving.

"Yep! We're gonna have fun this summer!" Kagome told the peaceful young girl. "And how old are you?"

"Twelve."

"Nice!" Sango said.

A third girl got up and approached them. Her hair was also abnormally white like Kanna's, but the eyes were the compleate opposite. This girl's eyes were a sharp lilac color and shined like the moon.

"Hi! I'm Shiori and I'm eleven years old!" she said as she hopped up and down with excitement.

It made Kagome smile to think that she had such an impact on these girl's lives. Now she understood how Sango felt and why she became a coulselor.

The fourth girl stood and walked over, still carrying her crayons in her hands. She looked the youngest out of all of them, with her hair up in two cute buns on top of her head. "I'm Souten, and I have a boyfriend!"

"No you don't, Souten-chan!" Rin called as she put her small fists on her hips.

"Yes I do! See!" She held up a crayon-drawn picture in the hand without the crayons. It was a picture of herself and a young demon fox holding hands.

"Arg!" Shiori exclaimed. "Shippo so doesn't like you!" she said as she rolled her eyes. "You like him!"

"He does so! We're in love, and we're gonna get married!" Souten said as she crossed her arms and turned around.

"Oh, so who's this Shippo..." Kagome asked the snickering group of youngsters.

"Well, he's a fox demon, and Souten loves him." Kanna said as the other two made kissy noises.

Small tears came up in Souten's eyes as she ran over and wrapped her arms around Kagome, her head only reaching her hips. "Stop making fun of me!" she said through her tears.

Just as Kagome was about to scold them, The girls ran over to Souten and gave her a hug. "Sorry Souten!" the little girls chorused.

"Okay..." she said as she sniffed and smiled.

"So, how old are you Souten?" Sango asked with a smile. She loved it when the kids were nice to eachother and could solve their own problems.

"I'm nine!" she said, putting up the corresponding amount of fingers.

Sango smiled. Kagome looked over to the last girl still on the floor. She wasn't paying much attention to the conversations taking place. Instead, she was writing something in a notepad, working intently on her words. Kagome walked over to her and tapped her shoulder. This made the young girl jump, causing her pencil to fly out of her hands.

"Opps! I'm so sorry!" Kagome said as she picked up the pencil.

"That's okay!" the girl said with a smile. She had to be the oldest out of the kids in the cabin, since she was at least six inches taller than the rest of the girls. She had black hair that was confined under a pink bandana tied around her head. Her light brown eyes had the apperance of a deer's; soft, yet cautious.

"So, what are you writing?" Kagome asked as she sat on the floor next to her. She brought the notebook slightly closer to her, protecting it from Kagome's eyes. "It's okay, you don't have to show me," she said, even though she was now extremely curious.

"Hmmm..." the girl said as she peered down at the mysterious writing. "I guess it's okay." She handed the notebook to Kagome. "I'm Koharu, by the way."

Kagome's eyes widened as she saw the notebook page. 'Koharu loves Miroku' was scribbled all over the page. There was absolutely no white left, and mini heart were drawn in the spaces that couldn't fit words. "Wait a minute!" Kagome said. "Koharu, is this the boy's counselor Miroku?"

"Yeah... He's so dreamy..." she sighed as she brought her hands to her heart. "Ever since the plane ride here, I've loved him."

"Why do you love him?" Kagome asked.

"Well..."

_flash back -_

Koharu was sitting on the enormous air craft that was floating easily through the sky. She looked around uneasily, trying to figure out what to do. Her eyes spotted a movie that was about to begin, 'Finding Nemo', and she made herself comfortable for the hilarious movie. But when it started, she couldn't hear anything.

Apparently a young man noticed the girl's frustration, and leaned across the aisle. "Miss, it would be easier to hear the movie if you put the head phones on." With that he reached for them and easily slipped the head phones around her ears.

A furious blush crossed Koharu's cheeks as she replied, "Thank you..."

"I'm guessing that you're going to Camp Natsu Aikou, right?" he questioned.

"Yeah..." Koharu normally wasn't this shy aroung boys, but the teenager's bright blue eyes had sucked her in, along with his whitty charm and handsome good looks.

"Well, I'm Miroku, and I am a counselor there," he told the girl proudly. The boy sitting next to him with silver hair made a noise that sounded like 'Feh'.

"I'm Koharu," she replied.

"It's nice to meet you," he said charmingly as he took her hand in his. "Has anyone ever told you that you're very beautiful?" With that he kissed her hand.

After seeing this, the boy next to him stood up and picked Miroku up by his collar and sat him in his previous seat, blocking the veiw of the young girl from him. "What are you thinking, pervert?!" he hissed.

"Come on Inuyasha..."

"Don't even go there, Miroku."

"Fine..."

_- end flash back_

By the end of the story, Kagome's eye was twitching. "Koharu, how old are you?"

"Thirteen. Why?"

"Oh, nothing," Kagome said in a wavy voice as she stood up and walked back to Sango. 'I knew Miroku was a pervert, but enough to hit on a thirteen year old?'

"Sango, think it's time they got to bed?" Kagome said as she looked at her watch. "It's like, 11:00."

"Already?!" Sango said. "You're right." She went to the group of girls and stood in the center of their circle. "Okay, time to get ready for bed, girls!"

"Awwww..." all the girls said at once.

"Go on, change into your pajamas and hop into bed."

"Okay, Sango!" they called and ran to their suitcases.

"Sango, I think I'll take a little walk." Kagome told her.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just not used to this."

"It's fine, just come back soon," Sango siad as she walked Kagome to the door.

"Okay." Kagome walked out into the dark night, finding peace underneath the starry sky as she made her way to the crystal clear lake.

* * *

Inuyasha and Miroku made their way back to their own cabin, only to find three young boys running around the outside of the cabin, playing a cross of tag and football.

"I'll get two, you get one," Inuyasha told Miroku. He grabbed a boy with short hair around the chest and a little fox demon by his fluffy brown tail. Miroku then grabbed the remaining boy with the pony tail and they dragged all three of them inside.

"Hey! Put me down you big jerk!" the little kitsune called from Inuyasha's grip as the cabin door closed behind them. Before he could blink, the young fox was thrown directly to one of the five twin beds in the cabin.

"So, we only have three of them?" Inuyasha asked Miroku.

"Yeah, apparently..." he said as he looked at his paper. "Okay, let's introduce ourselves."

"Feh!" was Inuyasha'a only reply.

"What's up his butt?" the pony tail boy told the short haired boy, and they both started laughing.

"What did you say, munchkin?" the dog-eared boy said menacingly, starring them down with his big amber eyes.

"Uhh... nothing?" he answered.

"That's what I thought..."

"Hehehe..." Miroku laughed weakly. "Anyway, I'm Miroku and this grumpy puppy is Inuyasha-"

"Hey! I'm not a puppy, damn it!"

"... Well, what are your names, boys?" Inuyasha crossed his arms and started pouting after being ignored.

"I'm Souta, and I'm twelve," the short haired boy said. "Do you guys know my sister? She's a counselor here, too."

"What's her name?" Miroku asked Souta.

"Her name is Kagome."

Inuyasha's ears perked at the mention of the fiery girl from the main office. "Kagome?" Inuyasha asked. Souta nodded, and Inuyasha slightly blushed.

A mischevious smile crossed Miroku's face as he saw the inu-hanyou's face change color. "Yeah, we know her. Tell us, does she have a boyfriend?"

"Kagome?" He started laughing. "Kagome doesn't care about stuff like that. She worked really hard through high school to get into collage, so she didn't have time for boyfriends. Besides, I overheard her friends at home talking once, and they said that my sis would never have a good boyfriend because she can't ever decide how she feels." Inuyasha remembered her display of many different emotions in the main office. She seemed like she couldn't settle on just one.

'That's one of the things I really liked about her...' he thought. 'Wait! What am I saying? I barely know the wench and here I am, thinking about her!'

"I'm Kohaku," the boy with the pony tail said, interrupting Inuyasha's thoughts. "I'm thirteen, and I have a sister who's a conselor here, too. Her name is Sango."

Miroku's mouth opened in a grin as his eyes glazed over. 'Sango... what a body-' he thought just as he was knocked to the floor by Inuyasha's fist.

"Quit drooling, lecher!" Inuyasha commanded. Then a grin crossed his face as well. "So, does Sango have a boyfriend?" he asked.

Kohaku gave him a weird look. "No, she says she doesn't need a boy to make her happy. But I know that she is actually kinda lonely."

"Lonely? She seems like she wound have lots of friends," Miroku asked as he got up off the floor.

"No, not really. Most people think she's too hyper-active. And if you get on her bad side, she'll switch and beat you up. She's really tough," Kohaku told them.

'Well, after this summer, you'll be lonely no longer!' Miroku thought happily.

"With my sister it's just the opposite. Most people think she's heartless cause she doesn't share her feelings. I'm surprised she has as many as she does," Souta said.

"How many does she have?" Inuyasha asked, already predicting that you could count them on one hand.

"Three."

'She's so much like me...' Inuyasha thought. 'Maybe it could work... No! I'm not even going to risk it! Whoever said 'It's better to have loved and lost, that to not have loved at all' was full of shit!' he thought. Suddenly, he noticed the little kitsune was still on the bed that he threw him on. "Hey, runt! Get up!"

The fox shot up, revealing light brown hair and bright green eyes. His hair was tied in a ribbon and his tail was almost as big as his body. "Who are you calling runt, jerk?!" he said defensivly.

Inuyasha was taken back at the runt's audacity. "How old are you? Three?"

"I'm nine! I'm just small for my age, that's all!" he said as he crossed his arms and glared at the young man. "And my name's not runt, it's Shippo!"

"Whatever, runt," Inuyasha said as he walked over to Miroku. "I'm gonna go get some fresh air."

"That's probably a good idea," Miroku said to his back as he went out the door.

* * *

Inuyasha had been walking around the grounds trying to cool off. 'Why did I even come here? I know little kids piss me off, so what in the seven hells pursuaded me to come?' Suddenly he stopped as he remembered why he had signed up to come here.

_flash back - _

Kikyo ran up to Inuyasha and grabbed his arm. "Come on!" she said, partially out of breath.

Inuyasha, not hearing this much excitement in his girlfriend's voice ever, he followed her back to what she wanted to show him. "What is it?" Inuyasha asked when they reached their destination.

"Look! Sign ups to be counselors at a summer camp on the other side of the country!" she said excitedly.

"Kik, you know I hate little kids..."

"Oh, come on. We can spend the whole summer together!"

"Well, I guess..." he said, giving in to Kikyo's pleading looks.

They both signed the sheet, putting little hearts around each of their names.

_- end flash back_

He hit himself in the forehead. "Damn it! I can't believe that I forgot that we signed up together for this!"

"You should watch your language at this camp, Inuyasha," a cold voice said from behind him.

He quickly turned around. "Oh, it's just you, Sesshomaru."

"You should be in your cabin, little brother," he said.

"Damn it, shut up!" he said.

"First, I told you not to curse where the kids could hear you. Remember, there are cabins all around you. Kids are impressionalble, and I'd rather not have to punish them for repeating the words that come out of your foul mouth." It was true. Even though they were by the main office, any cabin could easily hear them if they spoke loud enough. "Second, I may be your brother, but here I am your boss and the director of this camp. So show some respect." With that, he turned and went back to the office building.

Inuyasha continued walking. Eventually he found himself at the lake. His nose picked up a trace of a beautiful scent. He followed it, and ended up at the dock. It smelled like vanilla, maybe a hint of sugar. With his golden amber eyes he spotted a small firgure sitting on the end of the dock, looking into the water. He approached the person with long raven colored hair. From the scent, he knew it wasn't Kikyo, so it could only be one person.

"Kagome?"

She turned to look at him with her large brown eyes. A smile graced her face as she patted the wood beside her, signaling for him to sit next to her. He came and sat beside her, taking off his shoes and letting his feet dangle in the water. She was doing the same thing, her toes barely skimming the surface, unlike Inuyasha, who's feet went compleately into the water. "What are you doing out here?" she asked him after a while.

"Kids piss me off," he replied simply.

"Then why did you become a coulselor?"

"My ex-girlfriend got me into it. Long story."

"Oh, you mean Kikyo?" she said as if she'd known all her life.

"Wha... How in the hell did you know about it?" he replied defensivly.

"Hey, watch your language. I could just kinda tell, you know? When she talked to us in the main office, you got really tense and quiet, so I thought you might've known eachother. So, am I right?"

"Yeah... You're really observant."

She shrugged. "Something I've picked up over the years, I guess. Watching how people react to different things helps me learn about them. I know a lot about you already."

"Like what?"

"Well, you're very defensive about everything, so you're mainly a loner. You said kids piss you off, so you don't have any youger siblings. You're very sarcastic and you avoid all your problems by blowing them off, and not dealing with them unless you have to. Because of the way you acted around that bastard Kouga," Kagome said, putting extra emphasis on the word 'bastard', "you like to solve things with violence, because you feel as if words are meaningless. And finally, you don't trust anyone because your heart's been broken in the past. Right?"

Inuyasha was speachless. She knew more about him that he knew about himself. "And you firgured all that out by just watching me?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

'She's incredible' he thought. "So, what are you out here for?" he asked, changing the subject. 'She's right... I do aviod my problems...'

She shrugged again. "Overwhelmed, I guess. I'm not used to this kind of thing. Before you ask, it wasn't my choice to come here. The only reason that I'm a counselor is because my mom thought I needed a 'stress free' summer before college and because my brother is here."

"I know. He's in my cabin."

"Seriously?" she looked him in the eyes, her's filled with horror.

Inuyasha let out a laugh. "He hasn't said anything about you, don't worry." he said. 'Well, nothing much, anyway...' he thought.

She looked back down to the water, her eyes filled with longing. He studied her as she looked into the unnaturally clean lake. Her skin was creamy and she had a nice complection. She had a small body and dainty little feet, swinging, barely touching the water. Her raven hair cascaded down to her lower back, covering her shoulders in the thick dark blanket. But the biggest thing he noticed were her eyes. They were a soothing chocolate brown color, yet clear as crystal. He noticed the look in her eyes as she starred at the water, full of distress and sadness.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"The water looks so pretty... Wish I could get in..."

"I think were going swimming tomorrow, just wait."

She let out a quick, humorless laugh. "This as close as I'm getting to the water."

"Why? You afraid?"

"No."

"Then whats wrong?" he asked again.

"I can't swim."

"Really?"

"No, I'm lying..." she said sarcastically. She sighed at the confused look on his face. "Yes, I'm serious."

"Well, then let me teach you," he offered.

"Seriously?" she asked timidly.

"Yeah, tommorow. While everyone is swimming, I'll teach you."

"... Thanks, Inuyasha," she said.

He got up and shook his feet dry. "No problem," he said as he reached a hand down to help her up. She took it with a smile and stood up, slipping her flip flops back on.

They walked back to their respective cabins, thinking of eachother and the next day.

* * *

To my Friends and Reveiwers -

Hanyou Vixen - Yep, you first, buddy! Thanks so much! And I would never, ever forget about the fans of LAK! Never! I like this story, but LAK is very important to me, so I'd never forget it! Love ya! :D

Suaru - Thanks! I wanted to put more characters in the story to make it more interesting, so I dug into my memory box of characters and pulled some out! (If you have any others you think I should add, e-mail me and I'll try to find a way to fit them in!) Yeah, and I really do like you're story! GO FLUFF!

starlitdreams - No worries, I will! Thanks!

MikoK219 - I'm glad that you got into it quick! It's so nice to hear, because you want the first chapter to pull people in and keep them coming back for more! Thanks!

Kanon-Chan - Hah! That's a great idea! I love it! But I'm really bad at that kind of stuff, so if you can help me, I'd be totally for putting one in! E-mail me any ideas you have, please! Thanks!

Inugirl540- Thankizzle, my homie-G-dog! Slammin to know you dug it, ya know? ...Okay, I have no idea what I just said, so thanks!

Sarcasm Girl8 - Thank you!

Lost-in-Dark - Yeah, I remember you! Thanks!

* * *

Okay, guys, please REVEIW! REVEIW! It only takes a minute! So, go to it! Adios, until next time!

p.s. - If you have any ideas that might help me out with stuff they can do, like camp stuff, them put it in your reveiw or e-mail me! Please and thank you!

Ash


	3. She's a Natural

Hey you guys! I am so sorry for not updating this sooner, but the little writer's block faries wouldn't leave me alone! But I finally put them to rest with my trusty sledge hammer! Anyway, I promise I will update this sooner from now on! Like I said, I feel awful for keeping you guys waiting, so on with the show! Enjoy!

This chappie is dedicated to my first reveiwer, Sarcasm Girl8, and to my bud, knifebladenails, for giving me the main idea for this chappie!

**3 - She's a Natural**

Kagome awoke the next morning to the sound of hair dryers and someone complaining about losing her hair brush. She tried to block the noise by pulling the covers over her head, but it was a losing battle. Groaning, she got out of her bed and fumbled to the sink in the adjoining bathroom. This camp was very particular in that there were showers and restrooms in each cabin, but it was extremely helpful when getting ready in the morning. Kagome compleately opened her eyes, seeing Rin standing at the counter blow drying her hair, Kanna standing near her looking in the mirror as well. Sango was standing over Souten, tying her dark hair up in her trademark buns. Shiori was turning the room upside down, looking for her hairbrush to tame her long white hair. Suddenly, a form bumped Kagome's side. "Opps!" exclaimed Koharu.

Kagome smiled at the young girl. "That's okay. It's my fault for standing in the bathroom doorway." She mad grown very attached to all five girls already, which surprised her. She made a mental note to thank her mom for forcing her to come.

She went and stood infront of the mirror. Taking a good look at herself, she borrowed Rin's brush (Shiori still was looking for hers) and combed it through her raven locks easily. She never wore much make-up, and since she was at a summer camp, decided against wearing it all together. After washing her face, she went over to where Sango was standing, putting the last touches on Souten's hair. "Hey, do you know when breakfast is?" Kagome asked.

As if on cue, the loud speaker wired into all the cabins made an announcement. "Attention," Sesshomaru's monotone voice announced. "Breakfast begins in five minutes."

The group of girls rushed around frantically, finishing their hair and changing their clothes in three minutes flat. They made their way out the door, the girls runnung ahead to the mess hall, while Kagome and Sango hung back.

"So, today's the day, huh?" Sango asked as she nudged Kagome in the ribs. Being the good friend she was, Kagome told Sango all about her little 'talk' with Inuyasha the previous night.

"... It's just swimming lessons, Sango. Nothing more," she replied.

"Okay, whatever you say, Kagome..." Sango drifted off as she felt something rub her rear end. In pure instinct, she brought her elbow up to connect with her 'attackers' jaw. She turned to see Miroku, sprawled out on the ground, his right hand still twitching. "So, still can't keep your hands to yourself, huh?" she questioned menacingly as she bent over his body, pulling him up by the front of his shirt. "Well, I think by the time this summer's done, you'll learn to keep thise hands where they belong... No where near me!"

With that, she dropped him to the ground and continued on her way to breakfast. Kagome stopped and extended a hand. "You'll never learn, will you?" She helped pull him up and jogged to catch up with the fuming Sango, who was still stomping her way to the hall.

"You groped Sango again, didn't you?" a male voice called from behind Miroku.

Miroku sighed. "What can I say?"

"Feh! You don't have to say anything, just don't touch her! Then maybe she would actually like you! Idiot!" Inuyasha told him.

"It's more complicated than that."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"Well, you see, my hands have minds of their own..." Miroku told him in a sad tone as he looked at both of his hands in shame.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the monk-in-training and continued to the hall, where he knew he would find Kagome.

* * *

Kagome and Sango were sitting at the counselor's table when the boys walked in. Sango shot a murderous look at Miroku, sending severe shivers up his spine.

After getting plates of food from the breakfast buffet, they sat down opposite the girls. Inuyasha poked at his food like a child and Miroku didn't look up from his plate as he ate, afraid of the look he knew that Sango was sending him.

"Is this stuff edible?" Inuyasha said at last. The awkward silence was getting to him.

"Yeah," Kagome said as she swallowed a mouthfull of eggs. "It's actually fairly good, considering it's camp food."

"Okay, will all counselors please report to the back room. Now!" called the cold voice of a black haired woman who stood near the main doors. They all got up and walked quickly to the room, fearing what would happen if they got there after her.

All the councelors gathered. Kagome made sure she stood between Inuyasha and Kouga, trying to prevent any unnecessary arguments. The woman who called them in was now standing at the front of the room. She looked no older than 25, yet she seemed to posses such grace and knowledge. Her black hair was pulled into a high ponytail, with two white feathers sticking out from the rubber band. Kagome could tell that she was a strict person; she held herself with such dignity that it intimidated everyone in the room. Her narrow blood red eyes scanned the group. They showed obvious dissapointment in the teens gathered around her. Even though she was a small woman, she commanded the respect of everyone in hte room with her booming voice.

"I am Kagura, and I am the activities director at the camp. If you ever have any questions concerning the activities that you and the campers will be participating here at Camp Natsu Aikou, don't hesitate to come to me. Remember, I'm second in command under Sesshomaru, so if I see any one of you do something inappropriate, I have no hesitations with sending you back to your home."

All the concelors remained silent. Kagome shot a glance toward Sango, trying to get her attention. Her eye twitched seeing the intense look of concentration that Sango beamed to Kagura, taking every word she said to heart. 'She's one of a kind... I can sincerely say I've never met anyone like Sango in my life...' she sighed mentally. Her eyes scanned the faces of her new friends in the group. Miroku's face held a dazed look as he stared at the back of Sango's head. 'Even though I barely know him, I can tell this will be a normal, ever day occurance...' Her eyes hit Kouga, his face covered with a gruff expression. Feeling her eyes on him, he turned his head slightly, blowing her a slight kiss. Holding herself back from gagging, she sent him a death glare. He just smirked and turned his attention back to the dictator-like Kagura, who was going over rules for the different uses of the lake. Then her eyes landed on Kikyo. 'She and Inuyasha went out...' she repeated the fact in her mind. Kikyo's stony glare never changed, string straight ahead at nothing in particular. 'I think he might still love her... But why does that matter to me? I don't need a guy... especially not Inuyasha.' Yet, he never left her mind since the moment they met. Maybe it was his eyes. Those golden amber orbs that never dimmed in brilliance, that seemed to hold more that what met your eyes. Or maybe it was his attitude. He was stubborn and hard-headed, yet there was an insecurity that he had within himself that made Kagome's heart melt. She bit her lip hard, bringing her back to reality. 'Get your mind back on what it supposed to be on!' she silently yelled at herself. After about thrity seconds of listening to Kagura drone on about the archery field, he couldn't help herself anymore. She allowed her eyes to steal a glance at Inuyasha, only to meet his bright eyes silently watching her. Her face flushed from the attention of the dog-earred boy, then she turned her mind back to Kagura, trying to hear and retain what she was saying.

Inuyasha was starring at her. He couldn't help it. Ever since their talk on the dock, he made a point to watch people more carefully. And she was no exception. He observed as her expressions changed as she looked at the people around her. When Kouga blew her a kiss, Inuyasha almost lost it. He regained his composure after he saw the look Kagome shot at him, grinning at the spunk of the young woman. He saw her gaze fall on Kikyo. His heart skipped a beat as he watched her expression change to one of sadness, then her eyes kind of glazed over, her mind going into deep thought. He still watched her, taking in her eyes. So vibrant, so full of life... everything Kikyo's wern't. It still amazed him that two people who looked so much alike could be so different. Then she gazed forward for a few moments, obviously not hearing a word that Kagura was saying. Then her eyes slowly turned to rest on him. For a moment she just looked at him, gazing into his eyes. Then she turned her head abruptly, red creeping up her cheeks when she saw that he was staring at her. She turned her head, now compleately focusing on Kagura's long speach.

Kagura looked around at the group of councelors as she talked. 'Well, I can tell this summer will be... interesting...' she thought as her mouth spoke the same speach she articulated at the beginning of every summer for the past 7 years. She had been a councelor here, even went to camp here when she was young. Her life revolved around this camp, and she loved every second of it. She thanked Kami everyday that she had a job she loved. Maybe she loved more than just her job... 'Sesshomaru...' she thought. She blinked and mentally smacked herself. 'He's far to busy to care for anyone, much less me...' Her blood red eyes fell on his little brother, Inuyasha. Although she never met him before the summer, she'd heard Sesshomaru talk about him. He thought his little brother was wasting his life with that girlfriend of his. He said she was no good for him. When he heard they broke up, he gave Kagura a rare smile, telling her how he had some hope for his brother now. 'You can't fool me, Sesshomaru. I know you care for Inuyasha... in your own, strange, uncaring way.' Her thoughts stopped, realizing that what she just thought made no sense at all. But then again, neither did Sesshomaru. She wraped up her speach with what the groups would be doing that day.

"I want groups 1, 2, and 3 to go to the archery range this morning. Groups 4 and 5 will go to the lake and swim. After lunch, the two groups will switch places. Any questions?"

She recieved no respnse and assumed they could handle the simple instructions. They were dismissed back to breakfast with a flick of her wrist. The teens walked back to the main room, looking around confused. "Who is whick number?" Ayame said, her eyes filled with confusion.

"We're number 5, Ayame," Yura told her.

"How do you know?" she questioned.

'I swear, sometimes I don't know about her sanity...' Yura thought as she looked at the innocent look on her face. "It said so on top of the packet with the info on the kids."

"Oh..." Ayame replied with a knowing tone. Yura just sighed and lightly hit her head to her palm.

"Lucky for you ladies, we're number 4," Kouga said with a grin, enjoying the blush rushing up Ayame's cheeks. Yura just rolled her eyes at them. Then Kouga looked to Kagome. He steped a small step toward her, breathing in her scent. "Too bad..." he said in a baely audible whisper, hoping that only Kagome heard him. "I was hoping to go swimming with you..." Kagome gave him a look of utter disgust and turned her back to him. He was about to wrap his arms around her when his ears picked up a slight growl from behind him. Kouga turned to see Inuyasha glaring at him.

"Learn to whisper before you say things you don't want anyone else to hear," Inuyasha told him quietly, moving in between him and Kagome. 'Why am I being so protective of her?' he thought as he took a whiff of her alluring aroma. He shook it off and stayed quiet.

"So that means we're all together, right?" Sango asked the remaining people.

"That's right, my lovely, we get to go swimming..." Miroku said as he came up behind her, the hand with a mind of it's own going to it's favorite place.

"Pervert!" she hissed as she slapped his hand away, trying not to attract any unwanted attention from the campers.

He just grined and she rolled her eyes. Kagome smiled. She could already tell that they liked eachother. Well, it didn't take Kagome's observation skills to see that Miroku liked her. A lot. But Sango was a tougher case to crack. Even though she was bright and vibrant, she had a deeper side, one with strong feelings. Kagome had to look really hard to see this side, but it was definintly there. 'She puts up a front of a happy go lucky girl, yet I can tell that she has probably been through something bad. And from how she acts around Miroku, it probably had something to do with a guy...' before she could think any deeper about it, her thoughts were interrupted. "What do you want Kouga?" Somehow he had snuck behind Inuyasha.

"Nothing sweetie, except I had a question," he said with a cocky swagger in his voice.

"What?" she said through her teeth, trying her best not to explode at him for calling her 'sweetie'.

"I was wondering if it hurt when you fell."

Now she was really confused. "What?"

"You know, when you fell from heaven."

She groaned at the stupid line. 'Should've saw that coming...' she thought miserably. He came up beside her and put his arm around her. She skwirmed uncomfortably, and before she knew what she did, she called out. "Inuyasha! A little help!" Her voice was high-pitched and short, pleading for assistance. He turned instantly and a deep growl escaped from his chest, vibrating his body with the ferocity of the gesture.

"Get away from her, now," he saw in a low tone to match the growl. His amber eyes flashed red, making Kouga flinch away from Kagome. Realizing his mistake, he walked quickly out of the breakfast hall. Kagome watched him go.

'What am I doing?' she asked herself stupidly. Ignoring the strange looks from the other counselors, Kagome ran out the door after him.

* * *

'What is wrong with me?' Inuyasha asked as he sat down on the end of the dock, looking into the crystal waters. 'I thought I could handle this... but Kouga just had to go and piss me off...' His amber eyes never blinked as he gazed at the water, hoping an answer to his problem would just appear, yet he knew it wouldn't. "This is my problem and I have to find the answer by myself."

"So you still can't keep control of your temper, Inuyasha?" a farmiliar voice called from behind him. His heart beat faster, and after a good whiff of the air, he knew exactly who was behind him.

The weather boards of the dock slightly creaked as she advanced behind him, her raven black hair swaying with the wind. She stood a couple feet behind him, knowing very well that he knew she was there.

"What do you want, Kikyo?" he said in a voice barely above a whisper.

She cocked her head to the side, as if thinking about her answer. "Is it a crime to see if my ex-lover is okay?" she whispered back, her voice filled with malice toward him. Her eyes burrowed into the back of his head, staring at the silver locks that hung carefully below those dog ears.

Oh how she hates those ears. They had made them stand out everywhere they went together. Either people were asking to touch the fuzzy things, or they were avoiding the strange boy with the ears of a canine. People in this time wern't prejudice, yet many people perfered to stay with their own kind. Kikyo wasn't sure what made her go out with the half demon, but she had never regreted it. It was the happiest three years of her life, every possible second spent with Inuyasha. But then he dumped her flat on her face, claiming she showed no emotion and that it was hurting him inside. Of coarse, before that she would have never wanted to hurt him. Maybe if he had mentioned it, they could work something out... But no. He just dumped her. This infuriated her to no end. She had let down her defenses that guarded her heart and let him in. How dare he go and stomp on her heart! She would show him how wrong he was... no matter what it took. And now he was running to Kagome. Personally, she had no problems with her, but when she spied them down on the docks the previous night, her heart cracked even more. Not only was he going to another girl, but one that looked like her, no less! 'Well, I won't let that happen, Inuyasha. You just wait..'

Inuyasha just sat there, feeling uncomfortable as Kikyo's farmiliar scent surrounded him. It was like a rose. Sweet, yet not overbearing. Just enough to make you want to sniff again. 'But then again,' Inuyasha thought as he felt her icy glaze rest on his head, 'every rose had it's thorns.' And Kikyo was no exception. There was more to their break up than just her lack of emotion. But Inuyasha wasn't ready to face that kind of hurt or betrayal yet, so he pushed it far from his mind, only thinking of it in the darkness of night. Kikyo consistantly haunted his dreams, coming and shattering his heart. Every night it had bothered him. 'But what can I do? I can't go back to her. But now I'm stuck... I have no closure. I can't ever go back, but I can't go forward with her always on my mind...' he thought carefully, keeping his eyes downcast, still looking deep into the blue waters for an answer that wasn't there.

"What? Can you not look me in the eyes, Inuyasha? Does the pain of my love still haunt you? Does it hurt?"

He remained silent.

"I hope it hurts." At this his ears perked and the expression on his face changed to one of hurt. "Yes, I hope you suffer like I did when you broke my heart. I hope that you meet someone new, and I hope that she stomps on your heart, like you did to me. I'll have revenge for the pain you caused me, you'll see." And with that she left, her straight black hair fluttering in the wind as she walked back to breakfast, a satisfied grin plastered on her face.

Kagome was still looking for Inuyasha. 'Now where could he have run off to?' she thought. Suddenly she saw Kikyo, coming back to breakfast from... the lake? A large smile was set on her features as she looked toward Kagome and grinned even more. After she walked back inside, Kagome walked toward the lake, having a good idea of what happened.

As she approached the dock, she saw the gleam of silver hair in the early morning sun. She quietly stood watching him for a moment. His shoulders were hunched and his head down, the long silvery locks covering his handsome face. She saw that his claws were dug into the sturdy wood of the dock, making several small gashes in their wake. He was breathing heavily, Kagome deduced as she watched his back slowly rise up and down. Suddenly he flinch, catching a whiff of a sweet scent. His eyes looked directly at her, and what she saw shocked her.

There was Inuyasha, his beautiful amber eyes replaced with ruby red ones, and purple marks down the sides of his face, much like Sesshomaru's. She audibly gasped, and Inuyasha shot up from his spot, leaping to her in one movement.

He landed only inches infront of her, looking down into her big brown eyes. They were filled with fear, which only made the situation worse. He lowered his face to her hair, then her neck, sniffing all the while. She closed her eyes and stood still, hoping that Inuyasha would snap out of whatever had possesed him. 'He's not normal right now...' she kept telling herself, trying to remain calm as he sniffed her carefully. Finally he stood straight up, and his eyes faded back to gold, the purple streaks receding from his face. He blinked and seemed to gain control again.

Startled to she Kagome standing right infront of him, he attempted to step backwards. However, Kagome grabbed him by the front of the shirt and pulled him back, silent tears streaming down her face. "What happened to you?" she said in a surprisingly steady tone.

"Kagome, I..." he said, his voice trailing off as he decided what exactly to tell her. A sigh escaped his lips as he decided to tell her the truth. He led her down to the dock, and sat on the edge, his feet in the cold water, yet untouched by the heat of the sun. She sat next to him, wiping away the remainder of her tears. Inuyasha looked at the reflection they made in the water. She was so small next to him. So fragile. But she would probably figure it out eventually with her observation skills, so he decided he might as well tell her upfront, so she doesn't get anything wrong.

"So, Inuyasha? What happened to you?" she questioned in a flat tone, still in shock.

"You can tell that I'm half demon, right?"

"Well, yeah."

"So, that means I have human and demon blood in my body..."

"Thanks for the anatomy lesson," she said sarcastically. He looked at her in the eyes. She saw his eyes full of pain, so she stopped and mummbled a quick apology.

He continued. "Well, in reality, demon blood is a lot stronger than human blood. Normally, my blood mixes fine, giving me a balance of both. But sometimes when I lose my temper, my demon half takes over, forcing my human blood back. When this happens, I... well I..."

"You turn into a full demon, right?" she asked.

"...Yeah."

They were quiet for a moment, staring at the other's reflection in the lake. Inuyasha's eyes were mixed with emotions that even Kagome could not decifer. He never had told anyone outside of his family and Kikyo about his inability to control his demon side; it was his deepest secret. If the others knew, they might be afraid of him, which is something he didn't want. But he knew that Kagome would understand. Somehow, he knew she was different than the rest.

"Was it Kikyo that made you so mad?" she asked innocently.

He gave her a strange look. "Uh... yeah. But, how did you know?"

"I saw her walking away from the lake with a big smile on her face, and you were still missing, so I just assumed..."

"Well, you assumed right."

"I'm sorry. It must be hard... you know... having her around all summer."

"Feh," he replied. "I won't let her ruin my time here!" he said with an arrogant tone.

Kagome just sighed and stood up, slipping her filp flops back on her feet. Inuyasha looked up at her, only to meet her large smile. "I'm glad." She extended her hand to him, which he gladly took. They walked back to the hall in comfortable silence, the morning sun casting their shadows along the bright green grass.

Around noon the group of counselors and campers found themselves in an area clear of trees in the forest. At one end rested five big foam targets, all filled with thousands of little holes from being hit by arrows. The other end held a small hut and an old women. "Come children. Ye need to hurry!" she yelled as the three groups came down the trail. Kagome had been hesitant to go into the forest that seemed so dark and creepy. But she kept going, relieved when they finally reached the warm sunlit area.

They approached the woman with the eye patch. She was fairly old, and her gray hair was tied at her neck in an old fashioned style. "I am Kaede, and I run the archery coarse here at Camp Natsu Aikou. I would like to warn all of ye who have not used a bow and arrow before to not get discouraged; archery is a skill that must be developed over time, and will not come immediately. Nw, if everyone will step over to the hut, and grab a bow..."

From there on the lesson was hectic. Neither the girls nor the boys could aim straight. It went even further downhill when Shiori misfired her bow backwards, and nailed Kohaku in the butt. That's when the war between the boys and the girls began. The boys and girls charged one another, wrestling and hitting. Souten tackled Shippo, planting a kiss on his cheek. He shreiked and ran, hiding behind Inuyasha's legs. The girls looked at one another, all five of them now seeing the boy's weakness.

"Come on you guys, not that!" Souta and Kohaku screamed. Kagome and Sango's cabin charged, making kissy faces at the frightened boys. "We surrender! We surrender!" they yelled, stopping in their tracks. This caused the girls to run into them, making an enormous pile of laughing and giggling kids.

The counselors watched this little display, some with smiles, some with frowns. Kikyo and Tsubaki had kept their campers away from the rowdy group and were now instruction them how to properly hold a bow. Kagome carefully watched how Kikyo held the bow delicately in her left hand, then took an arrow between her fingers. She laid it lightly and gracefully on the string, balancing it carefully. One of her cold brown eyes closed, aiming for the red bulls eye on the target. Then she let the bow go, freeing it of the constraints of her hand. It flew flawlessly through the air, sticking to the center of the red spot on the bulls eye. Her cabin and Tsubaki clapped, and Kikyo just gave a sickenly fake smile, taking a small bow.

'That doesn't look very hard,' Kagome thought as she also picked up a bow and arrow. Walking farther down the target range, she thought of how Kikyo placed the arrow on the string. Somehow, the bow felt natural in her hands, the polished wood smooth under the soft skin of her hands. The arrow was light as air, and flowed together easily with the string. Kagome lightly pulled the string back, aiming easily with both eyes open. Guiding the coarse of the arrow with her finger, she let the arrow fly. It made a path to the canvas target, landing smack in the middle of the bulls eye. Just like Kikyo had done just moments before.

Inuyasha untangled himself from attempting to gather the kids and stopped, looking for Kagome. There she was, watching Kikyo as she fired and arrow, easily hitting the target. The bulls eye no less. 'Of coarse, Kikyo has been training in archery all her life. If she got anything but a perfect bulls eye, she would be pissed. Although, you would never know it by her apperance...' he thought. Then Kagome's movements caught his eye. By this time, the kids and counselors had settled down, also looking toward Kagome. She held the bow and shot off an arrow as if she had done it everyday of her life. Everyone stood stunned, for this was not an easy feat. Not by a long shot.

Suddenly Kagome turned around, sensing many eyes on her. Then everyone burst out in applause for her great shot. Inuyasha looked over at Kikyo for a moment. She looked slightly miffed that Kagome got so much praise for something she had done since she was ten, but held it in. Inuyasha smirked as Kaede approached both of the hot shot young women, and inquired of their skill level and how long they had been training.

"Well, my parents enrolled me in archery classes when I was very young. I've practiced nearly evryday of my life, and now I can hit the bulls eye every time," Kikyo said. She looked over to Kagome. 'Top that!' she thought haughtily.

"And ye child?" Kaede said as she also looked to Kagome.

"Well... What if I told you I've never picked up a bow before, much less trained?"

She just stood there feeling uncomfortable as Kaede and Kikyo both gawked at the inexperienced archer, already terrific at the sport.

"But you held the bow with such mastery, ye must be joking," Kaede said, disbelief evident in her voice.

"Actually," Kagome said, her cheeks turning slightly red. "I just kinda watched Kikyo and copied what she did."

"Even so, it wouldn't come that easily," Kikyo replied, an evil glint in her eye. 'How dare she! First she's all up on Inuyasha, and now she bests me at my sport! Damn her!'

"I don't know. It felt sorta... I don't know... natural, I guess."

"Well, then child, ye were blessed with an extraordinary gift," Kaede said. She looked down at her watch. "Oh! It's almost time for lunch! Ye all must be getting back now."

They all bid their good byes and went to lunch. All of them were only looking forward to one thing: swimming.

* * *

To my Friends and Reveiwers--

Sarcasm Girl8 - Thanks!

Suaru - Oh, stop it! You're making me blush! Do I really rock? Well, that's pretty cool! Anyways, TTYL, girlfriend! Love and Hugs!

Hanyou Vixen - Doughnuts! YAY! Love it! Yeah, cookies are great, but I do like other thing, too... I'll TTYL! Love ya lots!

knifebladenails - Hey, hunny! Hehe... I took the archery range from you! Thanks for the idea! Loved it! (duh!) I haven't heard from you in forever! Emial me, girl! Much love!

Inugirl540 - I'm not even gonna try talking like that anymore. (sighs) It's a lost cause for this poor little white girl! Hehe.. I scare my cats cause I talk to myself... just thought I'd say it! Thanks so much!

Lost-in-Dark - Thanks! I appreciate being one of your favs! That makes me feel all fuzzy inside... J/K! Anyway, thats so sweet! You're awesome!

penguinchick7 - Okay! Sorry it was so late! Thanks!

JadeElemental - Yeah... but what can you do? Miroku will always be like that, and if he wasn't, then he wouldn't be Miroku! I kinda based Kagome slightly on me... but not a lot! Just the part about reading people by the way they act. I actually am fairly perceptive! Hey, I talk to Suaru all the time! She's awesome and you are, too! Thanks!

* * *

Okay guys! Please, REVEIW! I love all of you! Anyway, I want to ask a favor. If anyone has any ideas for anything they can do at camp, please leave it in your reveiw, or email me at sweetash642 !

Thanks and you guys are great! Adios, amigos and amigas!

P.S. - If you haven't read my other fic, 'Lovers and Killers', then please do! And Reveiw!

GO REVEIW! MUCH LOVE, GUYS!

Ash


	4. Take the Plunge

Hello, and happy holidays to all! Hope you're all doing well! Winter break is coming up soon, and I know I'm happy! (smiles) You know what that means, right? (reveiwer look confused) Right? (sighs) I'll get to update more cause I'll have more free time! YAY! Anyways, this chappie is nice and long, due to how long it took me to get it out! Sorry about that! Anyway, Enjoy!

And this chappie's dedication goes out to... drumroll please! (drums roll) You ready? (opens golden glittery envelope) ... And the winner is, my personal friend, Hanyou Vixen, for being the first reveiwer! Yay! And a late happy birthday to her! You rock my socks, girlfriend!

* * *

**4 - Take the Plunge**

All the way back to the main part of the camp, Kagome was bombarded by questions and comments from the campers. "Oh, Kagome! You are so cool!" "Where'd you learn to do that!?!" "Will you teach me?" "I never knew you could do that, sis!" "That was so awesome, Kagome!"

She sighed and smiled, not even attempting to reply to every question. Kikyo and Tsubaki walked far behind the other two groups, disgusted at the children's outrageous displays. "They are very easily impressed," Tsubaki said to Kikyo, who was fuming in her strange way. All she did was shoot evil glares at Kagome's back, her arms crossed and her mouth carved into a depressing frown. Tsubaki mentally sighed. 'Kikyo seems so nice when you first meet her, but she really isn't incredibly nice...' She looked to the girls in their cabin. They had tried to congradulate Kikyo for getting a bulls eye, but she ignored them and instead glowered at Kagome. The girls had become disheartened, and remained quiet. Tsubaki wanted to tell them to go and interact with Kagome and Sango's cabin, but if she did, Kikyo would then be mad at her. And she had to live in the same cabin as her all summer, so she decided to keep the situation between the two of them peaceful. 'I guess I'll just have to aggre with her...' she thought. 'Even though I have nothing against Kagome or the others.'

Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango walked behind the large group of kids that were jumping around Kagome excitedly. "I can't believe she hit the target on her first try, much less the bulls eye," Miroku said.

"Yeah, especially after you lost seventeen arrows in the woods behind the targets!" Sango said jokingly as Miroku blushed in embarrasment.

Inuyasha wasn't paying attention to what they were saying. His amber eyes were locked on Kagome, watching her. She seemed nervous from all the attention and the kids jumping around her, yet she hardly showed it. He could tell that she loved kids by the way her eyes sparkled when one of them laughed. For some reason that sparkle sent his heart into his throat.

Finally they reached the camp grounds, where they all separated to their respective cabins. As Sango and Kagome jogged up the slight hill to catch up with their rowdy campers, someone grabbed Kagome's shoulder. "Oh," Kagome said as she turned around, "Hi Kikyo."

"I was wondering if I could speak with you?" she said with a fake smile. Kagome looked toward Sango, who just shrugged.

"Um... Sure," she replied, letting herself be dragged toward the lake by her arm.

When they arrived at their destination, both young women walked out on to the dock. "So, what's up, Kikyo?" asked Kagome as she looked into the crystal water of the lake. She couldn't help but be freaked out by the similarities in their apperance. The same long black hair, same small body frame, same brown eyes... 'No, that's not right,' Kagome thought. 'Our eyes aren't the same. Not one bit.'

"I just wanted to give you a fair warning," Kikyo said.

Kagome looked at her confused. 'What would she have to warn me about?'

"I noticed that you and Inuyasha are getting close."

"Yeah... I guess... He seems like a nice guy... Just misunderstood..." she stuttered through her sentence, trying to hide the blush creeping up her cheeks.

"Well, I thought I'd just recommend that you not get to close to him, because he might turn around and stomp on your heart," she said scathingly.

"Whoa!" Kagome said as she put her hands up in surrender and backed up. "I don't want to get into this thing between you and Inuyasha!"

"So you know we went out?" Kikyo asked.

"Uhh... Yeah. But I just kinda figured it out by the way you act around eachother." Kagome's hands were in knots by now as she twisted them around, restraining herself from wrapping them around Kikyo's neck. 'She's gonna try and turn me against Inuyasha now! Should've saw that coming... But I won't let it happen!'

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Inuyasha is kinda uncomfortable..." Kagome regreted the words immediately as a small smirk sneaked it's way across the thin line of Kikyo's mouth. "But I mean, he's not the only one."

Kikyo glared back to her, the smirk erased from her pale face. Kagome silently laughed and matched her gaze. "What are you talking about?"

Kagome inwardly smiled at this; she'd got Kikyo slightly miffed. "When you're around him you get real quiet and defensive, as if you are afraid of him or something."

Kikyo and Kagome stared at eachother for a long while, as if sizing the other one up. Finally, Kikyo gave Kagome a hard glare and stormed off the dock, stomping like a child. Kagome smirked at her back. 'I won this little battle. But I have the feeling that the war has just begun...'

* * *

She returned with a satified grin on her face as she approached Sango in the lunch line. "What made you so happy all of the sudden?" Kagome just grined and jabbed a thumb toward the door. Barging in through the door came a pissed Kikyo, hastily skirting around scared campers. "Ha! Did you tell her off?"

"In a way..." she said sneakily as she explained the whole ordeal at the dock as they got their food.

By the time they got back to the table, Kagome had a small smile on her face and Sango was fuming. "How dare she try to do that! And I thought she was nice! People like that make me so mad!" She slammed her tray down on the coulselor's table, causing Miroku's apple juice to spill. "Oh! I'm sorry!"

"That's okay, love!" he replied brightly and started wiping the mess up with some napkins.

"What's wrong?" Inuyasha asked Kagome as she sat down beside him.

"Ummm..." she stuttered, knowing that if she told him about what happened with Kikyo, he'd only get mad. "It's nothing!" she said, almost too happily.

Inuyasha gave her an odd look, yet diddn't press it. 'If she wants to tell me, she'll tell me.' Kagome dug into her salad, tearing the pieces of lettuce to shreds. 'For a skinny gril, she eats like a beast...' Inuyasha thought as Kagome sat her salad down on the edge of the table, and started tearing into her burger.

Suddenly the table was bumped against, and Kagome's salad went all over her lap. "Whoops, so sorry..." a very sarcastic Tsubaki said as she passed the table, hitting it purposely with her hip.

Kagome glared at her as she passed, then sighed. "I guess I'll go change..." she said as she got up.

"Actually, I'll go with you," Sango said as she got up. "I'm not hungry. Besides, I have to dig my bathing suit out of my suitcase."

Kagome glanced at Inuyasha before she was dragged out of the hall by Sango, lettuce and tomato plastered to her shorts with ranch dressing. 'That's right. I'm gonna learn how to swim...' she thought and grinned as they exited the large room.

* * *

Inuaysha watched them leave. He was still nervous about this whole situation. Sometimes he would feel like someone was watching him, then turn to see Kikyo and Tsubaki glaring at him. Frankly, he didn't give a damn what they thought, but still... Why'd they have to stare at him like that?

"Inuyasha, let's go," Miroku said, tired of seeing his friend be silently tormented by the two cold hearted girls.

"But I'm not done with my ramen..." he whined as Miroku pulled him out, leaving his ramen on the table. Once they were outside, Inuyasha gave him a thankful look. No words were needed as they walked back to their cabin.

"How much do you want to bet that Kagome had a talk with Kikyo?" Miroku asked once they walked into the small room where they lived.

Inuyasha just grunted as he dug through his belongings, finding his swim trunks and jerking them out. He went into the bathroom to change, just missing the knock at the door.

"Miroku? Inuyasha?" came a female voice from the door. Miroku, recognising the sweet voice immediately, opened the door.

"Greetings my lovely Sango!" he announced as Sango entered the cabin.

"Have you seen Kagome?" she asked with a scared voice.

"Ummm... no. Wasn't she with you?"

"Yeah... but I went into the bathroom to change, and when I came out, she was gone!" she replied hastily.

"She seems fairly capable. Why are you worried?"

Sango took a quick look around. Thinking Inuyasha wasn't there, she continued. "Well, earlier she had a talk with Kikyo."

"Sango, maybe you shouldn't--"

"And that Kikyo was such a witch! She tried to convince Kagome not to be with Inuyasha! Not that their together, but by the way Kagome looks at him, there's a chance..."

"Um, Sango--"

"All that Kikyo wants to do is ruin Kagome! And I think she's someone who will go to any length to do it! So can you blame me if I'm slightly scared!"

At that Inuyasha busted out of the bathroom, wearing only his swim trunks. He was infront of Sango, staring at her with his bright amber eyes. "How long has she been missing?" he asked her intensly.

"Ummm..." Sango stuttered, slightly frightened by his sudden closeness and the tone of his voice. "About twenty minutes."

He was out the door before either Sango or Miroku could say another word. Then Sango turned to Miroku, shooting him a murderous glare. She took a deep breath and exploded. "Why didn;t you tell me that he ws in the bathroom!?!"

"Oh, but my love, I tried! You just simply ignored me, that's all!" he said as he shrunk about five inches, withering under her fiery gaze.

"Grrr..." she growled, stalking toward him, fist raised.

'What in the hell...' he thought. 'She usually so sweet... maybe it's a mood swing?' She was getting closer by the moment, her magenta eyes never losing their intense anger. 'Yet... she still hott!'

When she got close enough, he silently slipped his hand around her. Suddenly the anger spread across her face disappeared, being replace with a furious blush. "You pervert!" she yelled as she felt something on her butt that wasn't supposed to be there. Her hand flew down, connecting with the side of his face.

The three boys that inhabited the cabin busted in, laughing until they saw the scene infront of them. "Um, sis... Is Miroku okay?" Kohaku asked, trying to pry a scared Shippo off his arm.

"No, not by a long shot..." she said as she stomped out of the cabin, leaving Miroku on the wooden floor with a throbing hand print on his face, plus three very confused young boys.

* * *

Inuyasha ran to the area inbetween the girls and boys cabins, looking around. 'This is useless! There's no way I'll find her this way!' He closed his eyes, feeling slightly overwhelmed. Then suddenly a sweet scent hit his nose, causing his whole body to relax instantaneously. He opened his eyes, finding the trail that his nose would follow to lead him to Kagome.

He ran to where the scent was coming from. Finding himself at the lake, his large amber eyes scanned the horizon. Sighing with relief, he spotted the lone figure on the dock, her dainty feet barely grazing the water. A large orange and yellow beach towel was wrapped around her small frame and her raven hair was streaming over her shoulders, reflecting the bright afternoon sun. He strolled along quietly until he was just a couple feet behind her. Then a new smell hit his nose. Salt. She was crying.

"Kagome?" he questioned as he sat down beside her. Small crystal tears ran down her face, leaving wet streaks along her rosy cheeks. Yet her expression was calm. Her face was solid and showed no signs of cracking. 'Those eyes...' he thought as he stared at her. 'No matter how she tries to hide it, those eyes give her away.' Her chocolate brown eyes swirled with emotions that her face wouldn't allow her to show, sadness and fright being the most predominate of all. "Are you okay?"

"Remember when I told you that I wasn't afraid of the water?" she said out of the blue.

"Yeah."

"I lied."

He looked at her face as she stared in to the depths of the blue water. Her eyes held an unmistakable fear that he was foolish to have missed before. He waited patiently, knowing she was gathering her thoughts.

"Do I have to explain now?" she said in a sad voice.

He thought for a moment. "If you want to get over your fear, then maybe I can help you. But first you have to tell me why you're afraid."

"Makes sense," she said, taking a deep breath. "Nine years ago I almost drowned in a lake."

"Oh..." he replied, not being able to think of anything smarter. "What exactly happened?" he asked before thinking, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"I was out on a speed boat..."

_- flash back_

"Kagome, see the fish?" an older man asked as the speed boat he and the young girl were riding in came to a stop.

"Which one?" the nine year old asked, slightly leaning over the side.

"Be careful sweetie. That one, right there," he said as he pointed to a large orange fish.

"Oh! Look at the pretty colors, Daddy!"

He grinned. "That's great princess!" The man with the bright blue eyes went to the side and scooped up his young daughter, and waved back to the shore. There were his wife and his young son, waving back at him. "We're going to head back, Kaggy. Buckle up!" he said as he sat down and started the boat up.

"Okay!" she answered brightly to her father as she straped herself into the seat.

Her father turned the key, starting the boat's engine. But something was wrong. The engine made a sputtering noise, then started emitting smoke. Kagome's father's eyes widened as he knew what was coming. "Quick, Kaggy! Do you have your life jacket on?"

She nodded her small head slowly, noting the tone of her father's voice, even at her young age. He came over and unbuckled her, helping her stand up. "What's wrong, Daddy?" she asked innocently.

"The boat is broken, princess," he said calmly, trying to keep the young girl calm.

"But... How are we gonna get back to the beach?"

"We're going to swim," he said with a smile.

"Yay! Swimming is fun!" she called as she hopped over the side of the boat.

"Kagome, no!" he yelled frantically. Just before she jumped, he had taken a good look at her life jacket. It wasn't buckle properly.

When she landed in the water, she expected to bob back up with the aid of the bright orange life jacket. Suddenly, she felt the shoulder straps slip off as she flailed around, attempting to grab the life jacket as it floated toward the surface. Her little lungs could hold no longer, and she inhaled deeply, taking in the lake water. She waved her arms like her Daddy had taught her to, but she never went up. The midnight blue water scared her as she looked arond for something to help her, but found nothing. Her vision was starting to cloud as she saw a large shadowed figure approaching her. The last thing she remembered was the feeling of two strong arms around her, pulling her toward the surface for the wonderful breath of life.

_- end flash back _

"After that, I woke up on the beach in my father's arms, and from that day forward I never went into any sort of lake or pool. Even now, I get nervous around water."

Inuyasha stared into the lake, seeing Kagome's reflection looking back at him.

"Do you think I'm stupid, Inuyasha?" she asked.

"Why would I think you're stupid?"

"For being scared of the water."

He was quiet for a moment, chosing his words. "No. I mean, if you're afraid, you're afraid. All you can do is try to not let your fears affect you and maybe even conquer them. I mean, everyone is afraid of something."

She gave him a side long glance. "So, what is the mighty Inuyasha afraid of?"

He looked startled for a moment, then replied, "Feh! What makes you think that it appies to me?"

A smirk graced her lips, a soft look in her eyes. "Don't worry, I'll figure it out before long." With that said, the campers and counselors gathered at the lake, ready to jump in. But before they did, a woman's voice, full of coldness, blasted over the loud speaker. Before she was done, both Inuyasha and Kagome groaned. "Kagura."

* * *

"And remember, no one is allowed to do any sort of water sport without compleating the swim test," Kagura said as she finished one of her infamous long speeches.

All the counselors were lining up the kids and checking them off a list as they compleated the swim test. It included one lap to the middle of the lake, where a large platform floated effortlessly on top of the water. Nestled on this platform was a white lawn chair with tall legs, so the person seated in said chair could graze the entire surface of the lake with a glance. In the chair sat a woman in her mid twenties with a red one piece bathing suit on. Her long black hair was tied in a ponytail and her gray eyes scanned the waters carefully, her life perserver in grabbing distance. She had never let a kid drown. Not once. That was a record that Midoriko was proud to own.

"Good, all the kids passed the test!" Sango exclaimed excitedly as she check the last girl's name off the list.

"All ours passed, too!" Miroku said merrily as he stuck an ink pen behind his ear.

The counselors stood on the dock, watching the campers for a moment. Then Inuyasha, Miroku, Kouga, and Hiten all grinned at the same time as they noticed something: they were in trunks and the girls were in clothes except for Kagome, still wrapped in her big orange towel. All four jumped in at once, splashing the group of girls. Kikyo and Tsubaki stood there dripping, steam practically pouring out of their ears. Ayame had shreiked and ran away, while Yura had tears in her eyes, complaining that her hair style was ruined. Only Kagome and Sango remained on the brighter end of the spectrum, laughing happily.

"That's it! You guys are gonna get it!" Sango declared as she tore her shirt and shorts off. For a moment, Miroku's eyes glazed over and he stopped breathing. Then he realized she was wearing a swimsuit.

'Darn...' he thought to himself. Even though she still looked good in her two piece hot pink bathing suit. It wasn't showing an inappropriate amount of skin or anything, but it flattered her figure and showed off her small waist and tight stomach. She dived in head-first, pulling Miroku in further by his ankles.

Inuyasha laughed as he watched the lecherous monk-in-training gulp in an unhealthy amount of water and struggle like a fish out of water as Sango, fire in her eyes, pulled him even deeper. In a moment Midoriko blew her whistle, shaking her head at the fact that the campers were behaving better than the counselors. Inuyasha looked to Kagome, who was hanging that enormous orange towel over a fence post to air dry from the attack. She wore an emerald green two piece, revealing her for the skinny girl she was. To Inuyasha, it looked as though she would break if someone touched her, like a porcelin doll. Speaking of someone touching her...

"Hey Kagome," said Kouga as he slipped up behind her, pulling her to his wet body. She shivered from the coldness of the weater dripping from his body and the uncomfortable closeness he brought. "You wanna go jet skiing?" he asked as he pulled her to the small house where the jet skis were kept. Inuyasha saw this, and knew that she couldn't go on the jet skis with Kouga for three reasons. One: she wouldn't swim. Two: it was Kouga. And three: Inuyasha had a feeling that he wasn't pulling her to that shed to ski.

In one hop he leaped out of the water, soaking a disgruntled Kikyo, still standing on the dock. "What to you think you're doing?" he snarled as he landed near them, making Kouga jump and release Kagome.

He regained his composure quickly and stared as Kagome slid to Inuyasha's side and he put a protective arm around her. Even worse, she moved closer to him when he did it! "Mutt-face, get your hands off my woman!"

Kouga made the biggest mistake he could make-- call an independent woman like Kagome 'property'.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY!" Kagome bellowed as Inuyasha and Kouga covered their sensitive demon ears. "Did I just hear you call me PROPERTY!"

"Ummm..." Kouga replied, at a loss for words. For once.

"Well, let me tell you, I am NOT your property, or anyone else's for that matter! You pompous chauvanistic PIG! I wouldn't go out with you when hell freezes over, much less now!" With that, she gave him a good smack across the face. She grinned as she watched the bruise swell up on his cheek. "Now what did we learn?" she asked in a tone that a kindergarten teacher would use.

"...Women aren't property..." he mummbled as he rubbed the sore cheek.

"That's what I thought." Apparently satified with her handy work, she jogged to the beach.

Inuyasha just starred at Kouga, not bothering to contain his laughter. Just as he was about to collapse from oxygen deprivation from laughing so hard, Kouga growled. At this Inuyasha stopped laughing from instinct. "Oh well," Kouga said as he walked off. "That Ayame is hotter than Kagome anyway..."

Inuyasha just rolled his eyes and walked to where Kagome was standing on the beach.

* * *

"Come on Kagome, just a little further," Inuyasha said softly as he guided her out into the lake. She was literally shaking with fear as she gripped Inuyasha's large hands with her small ones as he tried to pull oer into the water. "Okay, now look down," he said when they got waist deep.

"No," she replied simply, shuting her eyes even tighter to prevent any sight of the water to enter her chocolate brown eyes. Her body was stiff as she felt the unfarmiliar sensation of warm waves lapping against her hips and legs. Her nose could even smell the water as Inuyuasha tried to pull her deeper. She went about another foot, then would move no more.

"Well, this will work," he said out loud. 'Now to get her to open her eyes...' He smiled as a mean, yet effective plan popped into his mind. "Oh no! What wrong with Souta?" he said loudly, yet no one besides Kagome heard him.

"What?!?" she said in a panic as he eyes shot open and scanned the water. But all she saw was a rat. A rat with silver dog ears and amber eyes. "Jerk..." she mummbled, knowing that his little plan worked.

"Now that your eyes are open, just sink into the water up to your chin," he said as he demonstraited. His silverly hair spread out behind him in a shining wave, making Kagome's heart jump.

She gulped and, not wanting to be a cry baby, sunk down to where the water was to her chin. Her whole body was quaking with the feeling of the water rushing past her body. Suddenly she felt young again -- a helpless little girl, being engulfed by the dark waters. A flash back of her panic fled back to her and she shot up, running as fast as she could to the shore. There she sat, her forehead resting on her knees as her arms wrapped aroung her legs.

Inuaysha sighed and went to her side. "Kagome?" he said as he sat a clawed hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I just... couldn't do it..." she said quietly, to where Inuyasha's demon ears had to strain to hear it.

"At least I got you in the water. It's a start. Will you be willing to try again next time?" he asked, trying very hard to be gentle. Even though it was very out of his personality, he could sense her need for some understanding.

She nodded a 'yes' slightly. Inuyasha walked over and retrieved her orange towel and wrapped it around her, sitting down beside her. He meekly sat his arm across her shoulder as her face came up to look at his. Then she smiled lightly and turned to the lake, leaning her weight on his body. He relaxed and sat there with ehr until the dinner came.

* * *

To myFriends and Reveiwers --

**Hanyou Vixen** - Ramen rocks! YAY! You're thoughts gave me some ideas... horses shall be coming! hehe... Anyway, thanks for your suggestions! They're really helpful when I'm writing! And I'll say it once again, happy birthday, buddy! YAY! Much love!

**Suaru** - Oh, thanks so much! My head's gonna swell! But oh well, keep the complements coming! Hehe! J/K! Now, go update! Hugs!

**JadeElemental** - Yes, Kikyo is! YAY! And you're right-- telling you what happened to Sango would ruin part of it! Hehe! Sorry! Yes, Miroku is hott, but I'll take the boy with the ears any day... (sighs) Yeah, we should talk! I haven't been online a lot, because of school work! (hit bookbag full of text books with sledge hammer) Thats why this chappie is so late! But I'll be on a lot over the holiday, so maybe we can talk then, ne? Anyways, I love you, too! Thanks!

**Lost-in-Dark** - Yes, I love to leave people in suspense in LAK... but this one's much more laid back! Thanks!

**Kagomegirl56** - Thanks, I thought that would be a good time to throw his demon side into the mix! Much love, Saharachan!

**Kava** - They're in my head or saved on a file on my computer! Mwhaaahaahaa! Anyways, thanks!

**knifebladenails** - The ideas you give are marvelous and will come in later chappies! Yay! Evil cheer squad... grr! Yes, summer camp rocks! Hanging out with friends by a lake... priceless! Hugs!

**Moo** - Thanks! I thought throwing them in a camp would be fun! Hehe! I'm glad you think so too!

**KIKYOHATER002** - First off, I love your name! Totally awesome! Hehe... your suggestion actually inspired me for a later chappie... so thanks! Kikyo sucks! Woot!

**InuGome4ever** - Okay! Okay! Pushy, pushy! TTYL Wesley!

**PrincessKagomekk** - Okay! Thanks!

* * *

Okay, that was another chappie! I want to thanks those of you who reveiwed and left suggestions! It's really helpful to an author to have suggestions from the readers! I love to know you guys enjoy my stories! Adios my amigos and amigas, and Happy Holidays!

Ash


	5. A Lesson in the Art of Flirting

AHHH! I am SO SORRY! This story was kinda hanging out in air, and I want to thank those of you who kicked me in the butt and made me write a new chapter! In two weeks I have exams, so please bear with me. Even though I'm fairly good in school, I have a feeling I'm gonna need to study! Darn... Anyway, thank you all so much for your patience! Here's chapter 5! Enjoy!

This chapter is dedicated to everyone for a change, for all of your patience and kind words! Thanks so much!

* * *

**5 - A Lesson in the Art of Flirting**

The next morning, Kagome awoke to a quiet room. She immediately sat up, looking around. Somehow she had woke up before everyone else in the cabin. he counselor took a deep breath, laying her head back down on her mint green pillow. Try as she might, sleep eluded her grasp. Sighing in defeat, she stood and started getting ready for the day as quietly as possible. Her cloudy brown eyes shot to the electric alarm clock next to Sango's bunk. It flash it's bright red letters at her, telling her it was only 6:30 am. She gently closed the door to the bathroom, dulling any sounds she made from the sleeping people in the adjoining room. 'Everyone will be up in an hour,' she thought as she climbed in the shower, getting some warm water for the first time since she got here. 'Hmm...' she thought as she looked around, seeing many shampoos and conditioners lining the shower stall. 'Where's mine?' Kagome moved aside the bottles, searching for her own. 'Oh, now I remember! I accidentally took them out yesterday! Darn... I'll have to use someone elses.' After reading each bottle, she decided on Rin's shampoo and Shiori's conditioner. Standing up, she leaned her head back, allowing the warm water to run down her neck and send shivers down her body.

'This place is so interesting,' she thought, rubbing the shampoo into her long black hair. 'I've met so many people here, and I would even consider some of them my friends.' At that though she smiled, thinking of the prospect of friends. Oh, of coarse she had friends at home. But they were more like... obligatory friends. Kagome had been friends with the three of them since they were very young. When they started to grow apart, none wanted to let go, so they tried to remain close. It had gotten so bad that when they all left the country for their respective colleges, Kagome didn't even cry. She probably would never see or hear from them again, but for some reason it had never affected her. Growing up, Kagome was always the loner, the one who was known by everyone, but never quite fitted in anywhere. Throughout high school, people had their cliques and close friends that they would do thing with. Not Kagome. Instead of going to football games and the mall, she stayed home and kept herself occupied with books. Even when she graduated class valedictorian, she felt empty, like it was a waste. After graduation, she went home alone. That was how life had been for her. Of coarse, her family was wonderful. Except for the whole 'send-Kagome-to-camp-against-her-will' thing, but she could over look that. However, family could never make up for friends. That was one thing she never had.

But now... somehow she found herself with friends! Real friends who truely cared for her. In the coarse of two days, she had gained so much from the large camp that was nestled in the mountains. Finishing up her shower, she stepped out, drying herself off. She went to the mirror, simultaneously drying her hair and wrapping a towel around her small body. Looking at herself, she frowned. Her hair was such a mess. Rolling her eyes at her vain thoughts, she quickly retrieved some clothes and got dressed, avoiding the mirror the entire time. 'I never once cared about my apperance until now, so why should I start?'

When she was finished, she look a quick look in the mirror, despite her grumblings. She had thrown on a light pink spaghetti strap tank top, not showing anything it shouldn't, plus a pair of loose fitting grey sweat pants with 'Sweetie' written across the back. Kagome loathed these pants, but she didn't feel like wearing jeans right now. The sweat pants just gave the perverts out there an excuse to look at her butt. 'I'll change out of them later,' she thought, exiting the cabin with her black flip flops after leaving a small note for Sango incase she awoke before Kagome came back.

After walking for five minutes, she found herself at the lake. "Why do I keep finding myself coming to this spot?" she asked herself out loud as she walked to the end of the dock. Instead of putting her feet in like she normally did, she hugged her knees to herchest, resting her chin on her forearms.

The sunrise above the lake was beautiful. Pink, orange, red and purple covered the sky as the sun crept it's way over the horizon. All the colors reflested on the lake, casting lovely reflections every which way. Kagome audibly sighed and leaned further into her knees as her body relaxed, the warmth from the sun slowly warming her body.

Suddenly she heard a creak behind her. She turned her head, finding an unfarmiliar face starring back at her.

Kagome knew immediately that she didn't like the man. He had long, greasy black hair that fell past his shoulder blades, and deep brown eyes that looked practically black. 'In fact,' Kagome thought as she stood to face the man properly, 'They are black.'

"Hello," she greeted. "Can I help you?"

The man just stared. She realized what kind of position they were in and started to slightly panic. He had her trapped at the end of the dock, and if need be, swimming was hardly an option. Kagome shuddered as he walked closer, realizing that he was easily a foot taller than her. "Yes, actually you can," he said in a voice that made Kagome's stomach curl into a knot. "I'd like to know why you are out here so early in the morning."

"Who's asking?" she said in a calm tone.

"I'm Naraku, and I run the Activities Building here at camp." Kagome knew immediately that she wouldn't like this man.

"Well, um..."

"Naraku," a hard feminine voice called from behind him. Kagome looked and sighed, seeing Kagura's form in the distance. She was walking with two other people, and they seemed to be much larger than her. "I've been looking for you! I wish to have a word..."

"Well, I guess I'll deal with you later," he said as he turned, walking away from her.

Kagome subconciously heaved a small sigh as he left, her knees giving out. She felt her body sway, a sudden feeling over-whelming her senses. Before she fell to the dock's wooden docks, her body was caught by a pair of strong arms. Kagome's hands rested on the person's hard chest, and silver hair brushed against her back. The man was leaning over her, hugging her tightly to his body. She looked to his face, already knowing what she would find. "Good morning Inuyasha."

"Good morning to you, too," he replied, his voice soft and gentle to her ears. He held her for a moment, then helped her stand up properly. "You okay?" he asked, his tone now showing concern.

"Yeah, he just gave me the creeps, that's all," she replied, blushing as his gaze rested on her.

"That Naraku is a bastard!" Inuaysha practically growled. "The only reason he works here is because he owns part of the land."

"Huh? So is he like, the co-owner or something?"

"In a way," Inuyasha said as he moved down to the end of the dock, sitting indian style as Kagome sat beside him, hugging her knees to her chest. "You see, three different people own the land that makes up the camp. One is an old hag by the name of Kaede, who owns most of the land the actual camp itself is on. Then there's Sesshomaru, who owns most of the forest area used with the camp. And Naraku. He owns the lake."

"Hmmm... Why doesn't anyone buy the lake from him?" Kagome questioned.

"He won't sell! Sesshomaru has tried, but he won't give it up for any price!"

"Well, that sucks..."

"Yeah. That guy is a totally creepy son of a-"

Kagome's hand flew to his mouth, cutting off his words. "Watch your language!"

He gently took her hand off his mouth, grinning at her. "Sorry."

The air was slowly warming with the sun moving slowly over the horizon. Kagome and Inuyasha sat in silence for a moment, gazing at the sunrise. "Why were you out here so early?" she asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the serenity around them.

"I was telling Sesshomaru and Kagura about some... recent events." At this point Inuyasha was restless, his claws nervously pulling at his shirt collar and his amber eyes darted around them, scanning the entire area around the lake.

"Was it about what happened after breakfast a couple days ago?" she asked in a quiet voice, her eyes fixed on the lake water.

"... Yeah. He told me at the beginning of the summer to tell him if it happened. So I did."

Kagome looked to him, soaking in his presence. Somehow right at that moment he seemed so soft, so filled with emotion. She had never experienced this side of him, and even though the sudden change in his demeanor was slightly unnerving, it was something she wanted to remember. "Will he do something?" she asked, not sure how to convey what she wanted to say.

"... He just said to be careful and keep better control of myself."

The pair sat quietly, watching the sun slowly ascend over the horizon, lighting the ground with every passing second, the light coming like waves on a beach. "Can you do it? Is there some way I can help?"

Inuyasha's eyes darted over to hers, locking into them. She seemed to be honest enough. "No. Sorry, but there's nothing anyone can do to help me. I've got to control myself. No one can do it for me." He stood, hearing someone in the distance with his acute sense of hearing.

Kagome, oblivious, continued. "Are you sure?" She now stood, starring into his amber eyes intently. "Because whatever I can do, you name it. I mean-"

Inuyasha clamped his hand over her mouth, being careful not to scratch her. "Look, like I said, I have to learn to keep control of my temper. I have to. Not you. But maybe..." he said quietly as he removed his large hand from her face.

"What?" she asked. For some reason she was eager to help him. Maybe it was the fear she felt when he transformed that caused this sudden gush of emotion, but she knew she would do nearly anything for the strange hanyou with the doggy ears and the horrid mouth. "What is it?"

He turned and started walking away towrd breakfast. Before she could protest, he whispered a small reply. "Just stay near." With that he practically jogged away, leaving her on the dock.

Inuyasha couldn't believe he just said that to her. 'I actually asked her to stay close... I'm going soft! For some reason when I'm around her, I feel... light somehow. Like I'm on a cloud. Though I'm don't know what kind of cloud that is. I'm not sure if I like that feeling of airyness yet or not. It over takes me and I get off my guard. I can't have another slip up... I know Sesshomaru would send me home in fear for the kids, and I wouldn't blame him. But...' he thought as he turned and looked behind him. Kagome had turned back to the water, a light breeze filtering through the surrounding mountain side. It tossled her ebony hair, allowing the brilliant colors of the early morning sky to shimmer off the glossy locks. Her posture was straight, leaning most of her weight on her left foot. She looked like a radiant goddess, overlooking the unnaturally clean pond from her perch on the dock. '... maybe feeling light isn't such a bad thing.'

* * *

Later the counselors were called to the back room during breakfast to get the agenda for the upcoming day. Kagura stood infront of the bunch, her listlessness evident in her eyes. Counting heads and making sure they were all there, she began.

"Okay, today after breakfast you all will have an hour before your first activity, which is arts and crafts in the Activities building. Please be sure to inform your cabins of the cabin inspection that will occur at seven this evening. These inspections will happen twice per week, to make sure the cabins are being kept in good shape. In the afternoon, you will have two and a half hours to swim. Then you shall report here again at 4:30 to begin what is sure to be a thrilling scavenger hunt," she said sarcastically. No one dared laugh, though. "And so I only have to call these little get togethers on necessity, please pick up one scheduel per cabin as you exit the room. This list tells of all activities in the upcoming week. As always, don't hesitate to ask me a question. You're dismissed." She walked elegantly out of the room, as if having more important business to attend to.

The teens walked out of the room, picking up the paper as they went. "Hmmm... Seems as though this week is packed with interesting things to do!" Ayame told the rest of the group as her bright green eyes scanned the page quickly. "Tomorrow seems to be a free day, but we go hiking all night! How fun! And then we..." Ayame jabbered as Yura dragged her away, seeing that their cabin had already left the breakfast hall.

"Arts and crafts, eh?" Inuyasha said as they walked back to the bunks to round up the little mosters they called campers. "I'm no good at that artsy-fartsy stuff!" he complained to Miroku, Sango and Kagome.

"Quit your belly-aching!" Sango told him sternly. "We're here to have fun!"

Kagome just giggled as the teens parted ways, heading to their opposite cabins.

* * *

"Hello! I shall be your guide to the vast world of arts and crafts! Please, will all the children and counselors take a seat? Now, let's begin!" the spirited guy in the front of the class called to the large group that assembled in the main room of the activities building.

Kagome looked around quietly, taking in all of the details to the inside of the massive building. There were many adjoining doors to the main lobby where the class was being held, and her curiousity was urging her to sneak away and try them to see where they went. Knowing that it would be rude and probably against some sort of policy, she kept herself occupied with where she was. The building had a high ceiling with large panes of glass resting in the roof, allowing the warn sun beams enter the room, illuminating it with natural lighting. Wood was everywhere, making the atmosphere in the room calming and allowing everything to have a natural glow. Her eyes darted to where the man was giving instruction to the class on how to make a macrome bracelet with beads. 'I've been able to do that since I was a little girl,' she thought as she walked to join the rest of the group.

When she reached them, the instructor looked up, catchign her eye. He had short, light brown hair and eyes the color of the sky. The man held her gaze for a moment, turning when Rin pulled on his shirt for help. Kagome frowned at his back; she didn't get a good feeling from him. 'Maybe I'm just being paranoid,' she thought as she sat down next to Sango, who was struggling with an attemp at a necklace. "Here, let me help," she told Sango kindly as she leaned over and gently took the strings from her and corrected her mistakes.

"Thanks, Kagome," Sanog blushed. "You would think after being a counselor for a couple years I would know how to make these things!"

"It's hard until you get used to it. No worries." Kagome sat quietly for a moment, watching the boys try and twiddle their fingers around the twine they were using. Surprisingly, Miroku had already finished one bracelet and was in the process of making a matching necklace. She leaned over the table to take a closer look at the handmade piece of jewelry. 'Wow, this is excellent,' she thoguht as she looked at the tight knots and flawless placement of light pink beads. Kagome was about to congratulate Miroku on his masterpiece, but decided against it. He was too focused on what he was doing to even notice her.

On the other hand, Inuyasha was a compleate disaster. He eventually make a small noise of frustration, bring Kagome's attention to rest on him. Her hands came to her face to cover her mouth as she attmepted not to laugh at the sight. Inuyasha, she saw, gave an honest effort at making the bracelet. Unfortunately, his claws seemed to make the twine fray slightly when they brushed againt the strings, making them hard to work with. Not to mention his hands were slightly too large to tie the knots property without getting them stuck. All this led to the position he was in now. Both of his pointer fingers somehow got caught in a knot, binding them together. And this was a large knot to say the least. No matter how much he pulled and struggled, it held his fingers in place stubbornly.

She couldn't take it anymore. Kagome's laughter burst out, filling the ears of the frusterated inu-hanyou. He gave her a sharp look, but then cracked a small smile as he saw her face light up. "What's so funny, wench?" She just kept smiling and looking at his fingers. He would never admit it, but his fingers were starting to feel numb due to the twine cutting off his blood supply. "You think you can undo this knot?"

"I don't know, but I guess I could try. Though maybe I should leave you like that..." Kagome got up and attempted to go around the table, only to be stopped by the class instructor.

"Hello there," he said cheerfully.

"Um... Hi," she replied, attempting to gently push past him.

"My name is Hojo," the man said as he grabbed her hand, shaking it fiercly. "So please to meet you... umm..."

"Kagome," she supply, wondering when he was going to release her hand.

"Ah, Kagome! What a pretty name to match a pretty girl!"

At this point she practically groaned. 'Why can't he hit on someone else!' she thought as she looked over at Inuyasha, who was staring bullets into Hojo's back. "Thanks, I guess..."

"If you ever need anything... and I mean anything at all... just come to me," He then practically hopped away, going to help Kohaku put a bead on his bracelet.

"Kagome," Inuyasha called, a small bit of aggrivation in his voice as he pulled harder at the strings that bound his hands. She rushed over, fearing he was going to rip his fingers off if he kept pulling at the twine like that. "Are you going to help me or not, damn it!"

"I won't if you don't watch your mouth," she replied sweetly as she walked over to him.

"Feh," was his only response as she sat next to him. Her fingers worked swiftly as she tried to untangle the string, pulling and tugging it different ways. Inuyasha watched her thin fingers move delicately over the rough twine as she grunted in frustration. His eyes found hers, blazing with concentration at the task at hand. He smiled; she was so very attractive. "So, what's with that queer instructor?"

Kagome make a 'Keh' sound in the back of her throat showing him her obvious disgust with the guy. "His name is Hojo and I think he has a crush on me..."

"No worries, I'll keep him at bay," he told her confidently as he started to get the feeling back to his fingers as the knot loosened.

She giggled and he grinned. After a few more minutes of pulling and un-twisting, the knot was undone, though the twine was a mess. "There you go," she said as she tossed the frayed material on the table.

"Thanks," he mummbled as he flexed his claws, trying to get them feeling normal again. "I suck at arts and crafts."

"Obviously," she replied with a smirk as she reached for more twine, cutting four long strands. Kagome tied the ends together and grabbed a piece of masking tape and taped it to the table. Her fingers moved swiftly, knotting the twine in a straight line. She would stop momentarily to grab a bead or two, adding them to the mix.

Inuyasha's eyes were transfixed on her movements as she twisted and wrapped the string, her hands forcefullypulling the knots into place, yet delicately forming what looked to be a necklace by the length of it. All along the peice of homemade jewelry were small black beads and larger white fang-looking beads placed in a specific pattern.

Finally she tied the end into a loop and tore the tape that held it in place. Smirking at her well done work, she stood and went behind Inuyasha. "What are you doing, wench?" he asked as he felt her smooth his hair down in the back. Suddenly the necklace she made was being wrapped around his neck. She put the large knot at one end through the loop at the other end, securing it so it encircled his neck.

His face was flushed from her bold move and he attempted to cover the redness with his bangs as he pulled his silvery hair out from underneath the necklace. It fit him loosely, resting on his collar bones. His claws ran along it gingerly, fearing he would scratch it if he wasn't careful.

"Um... thanks, Kagome," he whispered as he stood.

"You're welcome," she replied happily as she went over to check on some of the girls in her cabin. Inuyasha's ears picked up her sigh as she realized that Shiori had gotten her hair stuck in her bracelet. Hojo was trying to console the young girl and had a pair of scissors dangerously close to cutting off a large chunk of her white hair. Kagome immediately took the scissors from his hand and pushed him away. She sat down and started undoing all the knots one by one, determined to keep Shiori's hair intacted.

Inuyasha grinned. Suddenly he felt as if someone was watching him. He turned, only to find Kikyou looking at him with a look that was unreadable... somewhere between anger and hurt. But at that point, Inuyasha could care less about what Kikyou thought of his actions. Nothing would come between the relationship that was slowly growing between him and Kagome this summer. He would make sure of that.

* * *

After lunch the campers and counselors found themselves again at the lake. Nearly everyone hopped in, relieved to escape some of the heat radiating from the fiery orb above them. Inuyasha stood on the shore, Kagome a couple feet behind him looking into the light blue water with fear.

"Come on, Kagome. Let's just go as far out as you can and take it from there."

She nodded meekly, approaching the water like a fish approaches a shark. Her foot hit the water, sending chills up her spine. Unconciously she grabbed Inuyasha's hand as he lead her further out.

'Ankles... knees... thighs... hips... chest...' Kagome thought as each body part was hit with the chilly water. When it reached her collar bones she stopped, still holding on to Inuyasha's hand.

"Okay, this is further than yesterday, I think," Inuyasha told her in a sarcastic voice. She stuck her tongue out at him, closing her free arm around herself in an attempt for comfort from the feeling the water gave her in the pit of her stomach. "Now, I'm going to let go of your hand, and-"

"No!" she practically screamed, pulling him closer to her. "Please, not yet." Her tone touched his heart, and he realized that this would take a while.

* * *

"Okay, you've all been divided into three teams for the scavenger hunt. Because group one is so large, they will go by themselves," Kagura said, motioning to Kikyou and Tsubaki's group. "Groups two and three will go together, and groups four and five will too." Kagura was having a very boring day. There was nothing to do at the moment, plus Sesshomaru had left earlier that morning to examine the place where the kids would be hiking the next day. 'I'm not getting slapped with any lawsuits.' That's what he had told her, but she knew better. Sesshomaru would rather fall down the mountain than let one of the kids from the camp even get a bruise from tripping over a rock. She admired his ability to care, but not get to emotionally attached. If you did, it was a very sad day when all the kids left. Kagura mentally shook herself, remembering these kids were still here for at least another two months. "Here are the lists for the items w you will be collecting," she said as she handed a paper to one counselor from each group.

"Bet I'll get more than you, mutt!" Kouga called from his group.

"Heh. You wish, wolf boy!" Ayame and Kagome calmed the respective boys down to where they were silently cursing each other under their breaths.

Kagura rolled her ruby eyes. 'The counselors are more childish than the campers,' she thought as she watched them all hike into the forest in different directions.

"Okay, the list says we need to find a pine cone," Miroku stated as he read the paper.

"Maybe you should watch where you're going," Sango suggested as she looked at the path they were following. "There are lots of root sticking-"

THUD! Miroku hit the ground next to her, his foot caught on a branch.

"Like I was saying, there are lots of roots sticking out of the ground, so you should be careful," she told him with a smirk as she extended her hand to help him up.

"Hehehe..." he chuckled, cheeks red with embarrasment as Inuyasha took the list from him and sighed.

"I found a pine cone!" Shippo called as he hopped out of a nearby tree into Kagome's arms.

"Good job Shippo!" she said as she took the pine cone and tossed into Sango's backpack. Shippo had been clinging to Kagome lately, riding on her shoulder and snuggling into her arms whenever the oppritunity presented itself. Inuaysah would never admit it, but he was slightly jealous of the little fox kit. "Inuyasha, what's next?"

"Hmm... a snail"

"Ewww!" the girls said at once, including Kagome and Sango.

"Geesh, it's just a..." Souta started to say. "Hey what is a snail anyway?"

"It's not a bug... and it's not a fish or reptile either, I don't think..." Kohaku added.

"Who cares?" Rin exclaimed.

"Yeah, either way they're still gross!" Shiori told them.

"Oh, Shippo! Protect me from the snails!" Souten said as she pulled Shippo's tail, dislodging him from Kagome's hold. She proceeded to hug herself to him, her arms wrapping tightly around him.

"Come on Souten! Cut it out!" Shippo yelled, trying to push Souten off him.

"Shippo and Souten, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Kohaku and Souta sang from a safe distance. All the girls started laughing and Shippo turned as red as a cherry.

The rest of the scavenger hunt was the same. Needless to say, they never found the snail.

* * *

To my Friends and Reveiwers -

**Suaru** - What can I say, my friend? Sorry this was out so late! You know that I've been working on LAK a lot, so I'm glad I could get this out! Love ya lots! TTYL, my lovely beta!

**Lost-in-Dark** - Oh, I promise, they'll get quite a bit closer... hehe! I love the fluff! Can't believe how long it took me to update! Thanks for the nice words!

**Hanyou Vixen** - Hehe! They're coming... maybe not the next chappie, cause I have something planned for that one, but they will come! Mwahahahaha! Love and Hugs! TTYL, buddy!

**JadeElemental** - I had a lot of fun writing that chappie... You know me! There will be loads more Kikyou bashing in the future! HAHAHAHAHA! Love and Hugs! TTYL, and don't get too dirty at those dances... (wink, wink)

**neya** - Thanks so much! No worries, they'll be compleating all summer, and not just in sports, if you catch my drift! Hehe!

**lonestar girl** - Let me guess... You're from Texas? Hehe! Anyway, thanks! I know there are a lot of camp stories out there, and it's nice to hear mine's one of the good ones! Kagome will learn how to swim... just slowly. Trust me, I've got a plan! And Kikyou will, in the end, still be horrible! Yayness!

**OneOnlyKagome** - Thanks! Yep, Kikyou is so stupid and she deserves to be annoyed and in pain... okay, that was mean, yet true! Sorry again for the uber-late update!

**LiLpSyChOsPaZ** - Interesting name... it took me a while to type it cause I kept screwing up... Anyway, thanks! I did!

**saku colors** - Thanks!

* * *

Okay, again, sorry for the late update! Hope you all liked it! And don't expect tons of quick updates... this story is just nice and fun, but I proomise, I won't ever leave you hanging for that long again! Cross my heart! Adios, my amigos and amigas!

p.s. - Oh and if you would, would you please go read my newer story, Behind Enemy Lines? I would greatly appreciate the feedback!

Ash


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